Storm Dave: thousands of homes in Wales and Northern Ireland left without power | UK weather
Storm Dave left thousands of homes without power in Wales and Northern Ireland and disrupted road and rail transport across the UK before warnings for high winds and snow were lifted on Sunday morning.
The Met Office has issued a yellow severe weather warning for heavy snow and blizzards in the Scottish Highlands, Argyll and the Western Isles on Saturday, as winds of 93mph (20mph higher than forecast) were recorded at Capel Curig in north Wales.
Some train and ferry services in Scotland and Northern Ireland were canceled and Dublin airport in Ireland canceled 17 flights as pilots struggled to land in windy conditions.
Nearly 2,000 homes in County Armagh and County Down lost power due to high winds, while Glynneath and Abergavenny in Wales were hardest hit by power cuts.
Services have mostly been restored. The yellow wind warning covering northern England, north-west Wales and parts of southern Scotland was lifted at 3am, while all three yellow warnings in northern England, Scotland and Wales were lifted later in the morning as the storm moved towards the North Sea.
The Met Office’s forecast for Easter Sunday said: “Storm Dave will clear the north-east on Sunday morning, leaving sunshine and widespread showers across the UK.
“Northern regions will experience the heaviest showers and feel cold, while elsewhere temperatures will remain close to average for early April.”
Flood warnings and warnings remained in force across the country: four coastal flood warnings and 32 flood warnings across England, 12 flood warnings and eight flood warnings across Scotland, and eight flood warnings in Wales.
ScotRail said emergency speed restrictions would continue on parts of its network on Sunday, resulting in longer journey times, while Network Rail Manchester announced rail interchange bus services between Manchester Piccadilly and Chester due to weather conditions overnight.
Many bridges, including Edinburgh’s Forth Road Bridge, still face traffic restrictions. The Humber Bridge in Yorkshire has reopened after being closed overnight.
Some council facilities remained closed in Northern Ireland. Visitors were advised to avoid parks and nature reserves.
Met Office meteorologist Greg Dewhurst said temperatures were expected to rise after Easter Monday as warm air arrived from Europe, with “temperatures rising into the low 20s, with highs around 20C or 21C (68 or 70F) on Tuesday and 23C or 24C likely on Wednesday.”
