The Met Office has issued a yellow weather warning for Merseyside on Saturday and Sunday, raising concerns that the Premier League fixture between Liverpool and Brighton at Anfield could be postponed.
Storm Austen and Storm Boelo are sweeping across the UK, and several events scheduled for Merseyside this weekend have already been cancelled. The popular Halloween event 'Spooky Welly Walk', which was due to take place on Friday at Sefton Park, will not go ahead due to the severe weather conditions.
Strong Winds Expected
Gusts of 70 to 80mph are likely, according to the Met Office warning. This has led to concerns that the Liverpool vs Brighton match, scheduled for Anfield, may also be called off.
“Strong winds will spread across northern parts of the UK during Saturday afternoon, combining with spells of heavy rain,” a statement reads. “Initially strong southerly winds will affect parts of Scotland before more widespread and even stronger westerly winds develop later on Saturday. Very windy conditions will then persist overnight and through much of Sunday before gradually easing from the southwest later.”
Safety Advisory Group to Decide
“Gusts of 55-65 mph are likely widely with some coastal and exposed areas potentially seeing gusts of 70-80 mph or more, these strongest gusts most likely across Scotland and the far north of England.”
As things currently stand, the game will go ahead as planned, but it has been widely reported that the local Safety Advisory Group will be involved in any decision on whether the game has to be called off. That group includes officials from both Liverpool and Brighton, as well as representatives from Merseyside Police and Liverpool City Council, as the safety of travelling supporters will be the key concern, with road and rail networks likely to face disruption.
Previous Postponements
Liverpool are no strangers to adverse weather conditions causing a Premier League fixture to be called off. In the 2024/25 season, the final Merseyside derby at Goodison Park was postponed just under four hours before kick-off due to the effects of Storm Darragh.
