Yellow Weather Warning for Easter Weekend Disruption with Storm Dave forecast to bring 90mph gusts

A number of Yellow severe weather warnings for wind have been issued covering Cumbria along with other parts of Northern England along with the whole of Scotland, Northern Ireland north Wales as Storm Dave blows in across the Easter Weekend.

The Yellow warnings are likely to be updated over the next few hours with the now named storm forecast to bring gusts of 50-60mph wide areas with 80-90mph gusts possible in exposed locations.

The wind speeds will peak at different times as the deep area of low pressure moves across the north of the UK, with peak gusts in Northern Ireland expected earlier on Saturday afternoon before spreading more widely across the north of the UK.

Storm Dave is likely to bring disruption to Road, rail, air and ferry services, with longer journey times and cancellations possible. Some roads and bridges may close

Power cuts may occur, with the potential to affect other services, such as mobile phone coverage.

Deputy Chief Forecaster, Tom Crabtree, said: “Storm Dave will form and rapidly deepen on Saturday as it approaches the UK from the west. By Saturday afternoon winds will strengthen significantly, with gusts of 60-70mph expected at times across parts of Scotland with the potential for gusts of 80-90mph in exposed coastal locations in Scotland. Gusts of 50-60mph are likely more widely in northern Britain.

“As well as strong winds, Storm Dave will also bring heavy snowfall over the hills in northern Scotland where up to 10-20cm of snow could accumulate. Along with the strong winds this will lead to blizzard conditions. Elsewhere there will be heavy spells of rain as the system moves through eastwards across the UK. With Storm Dave a few days away, people should prepare their property for the strong winds and keep updated with the latest weather forecast as the weather warnings are likely to be updated.”

RAC spokesperson Rod Dennis said: “The arrival of Storm Dave is set to make driving conditions across the north and west of the UK this Easter particularly challenging. While we expect leisure traffic volumes to be slightly lower on Saturday and Sunday compared with the rest of the bank holiday, there will still be millions of people on the roads visiting friends and family.

"Drivers shouldn’t underestimate the impact of the very strong winds that are forecast. We recommend taking extra care on exposed, higher routes and being especially cautious when overtaking high‑sided vehicles, as the buffeting effect can catch some people out. Slowing down and keeping a firm grip on the steering wheel are both vital in these conditions.”

As Storm Dave clears into the North Sea on Sunday afternoon, frequent blustery snow showers will feed into Scotland and Northern Ireland. These showers falling as rain further south in parts of England and Wales.

Easter Monday will be the driest day of the weekend for weather, with a brief ridge of higher pressure in the wake of Storm Dave bringing a more settled day. There will be lots of cloud across the UK, though brighter spells will break through in some regions such as the far south of England and northeastern parts of Scotland.