Storm Dave will bring a period of strong and potentially disruptive winds across northern parts of the UK this evening and tomorrow morning.
Amber and yellow National Severe Weather Warnings have been issued for parts of northern England, North Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.
Met Office Chief Meteorologist, Chris Bulmer, said: “Storm Dave will bring a period of very strong winds, with the strongest gusts most likely in the Amber warning area.People should be prepared for impacts with disruption to travel likely and possible power cuts.”
“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.”
As well as strong winds heavy snow is likely to cause disruption, with accumulations of 5-10cm possible at location over 200m in northern Scotland. Some areas could see 10-20cm and with strong wind blizzards and drifting snow will be an additional hazard. A Yellow warning for snow has been issued from 3 pm today to 3 am on Sunday covering parts of northwest Scotland.
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.”
Easter Monday weather
Winds will ease as Storm Dave clears into the North Sea on Sunday. Blustery showers will continue across Scotland and Northern Ireland while much of England and Wales will become fine.
Easter Monday will be the driest day of the Easter weekend, with a ridge of high pressure in the wake of Storm Dave bringing a more settled day. Most areas will see some sunny spells after a chilly night.