Storm Dave will sweep in this Easter weekend and the Met Office says it could bring 20cm of snow to parts of the UK – along with brutal winds of up to 90mph
Brits are facing blizzards, wind and rain from Storm Dave with more than half the country warned to prepare by Met Office as a -3C Arctic blast arrives.
A low-pressure system coming in from the Atlantic is bring the brutal conditions over the Easter weekend and led to a flurry of yellow warnings from the national weather agency with gusts of up to 90mph predicted.
The Met Office has issued yellow severe weather warnings for wind covering the whole of mainland Scotland, Northern Ireland, parts of northern England and north Wales from Saturday into Sunday.
Forecasters warn there is a chance of “injuries and danger to life” from flying debris while the strong winds may also cause some damage and travel disruption.
They warn that gusts of 50-60mph are expected widely within the areas covered by the warnings, while gusts of 60-70mph gusts are possible in exposed places. Scotland will be hit by the strongest gusts, which could be up to 80-90mph for a short time in exposed locations.
A yellow warning of snow has also been issued for north west Scotland where some places could see more than 30cm, according to weather maps.
And for people under the snow warning in central and northern Scotland, running for 12 hours from 3pm Saturday, the Met Office states: “Snow and for a time blizzard conditions may disrupt travel for parts of northwest Scotland in association with Storm Dave.”
It advises that people travelling in the snow should plan ahead, including checking the route to see if it is safe. People are also urged to “make sure you have essentials packed in your car in the event of any delays”.
And a spokesperson for the Met Office said: “As well as strong winds heavy snow is likely to cause disruption, with accumulations of 5-10cm possible at location over 200m in elevation in northern Scotland. Some areas could see 10-20cm and with strong wind blizzards and drifting snow will be an additional hazard.”
Deputy Chief Forecaster, Tom Crabtree, has also warned of the strong winds and heavy snow on higher ground. He 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.”
