St Albans Market will once again be cancelled on Saturday due to dangerous weather conditions.
Storm Gareth hit British shores this week and the Met Office is continuing to forecast that strong winds will batter inland areas.
By 4pm it is predicted that St Albans will be experiencing 48mph southwesterly gusts and by 9pm there is a 90 per cent chance of heavy rain.
Earlier this week, Hertfordshire braced itself against 55mph gales.
In light of this, St Albans Market’s usual Wednesday trading was cancelled and organisers have now announced that Saturday’s stalls have also been called off.
The popular bi-weekly event is only insured in up to 35mph winds - if something went wrong in more extreme conditions, stalls would not be covered.
A Facebook post said: “We regret that there will not be a market tomorrow (Saturday March 16).
“This is again due to the high winds forecast and potential risk to our traders and members of the public. We apologise for any inconvenience caused and we fully intend to be back to normal service on Wednesday 20 March.”
Markets manager Darren Lynch said even the comparatively less blowy conditions at the St Albans Farmers’ Market on March 10 caused some problems.
It is now the fifth time in five years that Darren has cancelled St Albans Market. However, on other occasions it was due to snowfall.
The separate St Albans Antique and Vintage Market is still scheduled to happen on Sunday, from 9am to 3pm.
Earlier this week residents across Hertfordshire were warned of possible transport disruption in Storm Gareth, including delays on some bus and train routes as well as for high-sided vehicles on exposed routes and bridges.
There was also the possibility of a short-term loss of power.
National newspapers have already published articles predicting the arrival of a new ‘Storm Hannah’, although the Met Office is yet to designate it any official name.
Snowfall is predicted for Scotland and Northern Ireland in this new weather turmoil.
According to St Albans district council (SADC), the city’s historic Wednesday and Saturday market has been trading as far back as the ninth century and is one of the oldest regular markets in the UK.
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