A powerful storm tore through the UK over the weekend, destroying the 190-acre Porth Wen solar farm on the island of Anglesey, North Wales. Storm Darragh and its 155 km/h winds demolished hundreds of solar panels, which were only built two years ago. On a nearby farm, a wind turbine was torn apart and its blades erupted into flames. .West England and Wales were issued a red weather warning, and people were urged to stay home — and if it’s essential to go out, to avoid roads, according to the Daily Mail. The publication reported this was the third heavy storm in two weeks.Approximately 9,500 households were without power, with workers scrambling to rectify the situation in the days following the storm.So far there have been two fatalities reported, a man in his 40s in Lancashire, England, and a man in his 50s in Birmingham, both killed by a fallen tree.By Monday afternoon, there were 33 flood warnings and 116 flood alerts in place across the UK.An EDF Renewables UK spokesperson confirmed the damage to the UK’s largest solar farm.“Unfortunately our Porth Wen Solar Farm has sustained damage during Storm Darragh. We are currently assessing the extent of the damage and conducting a controlled clean up,” EDF told the Mail.“Once the initial recovery efforts are complete and the damage is fully assessed, we will carry out a full investigation and when safe to do so, resume generation. Repair work and the replacement of damaged panels is expected to carry on into early 2025."
