Millions of Britons travelling for the Easter weekend face severe disruption as Storm Dave is set to bring gale-force winds and heavy weather across parts of the UK.
The Met Office has issued yellow severe weather warnings for wind covering mainland Scotland, Northern Ireland, northern England, and North Wales from Saturday evening into Sunday. Northern Scotland also faces a separate warning for heavy rain and snow on higher ground from Saturday afternoon.
Travellers should prepare for potential disruption to road, rail, air, and ferry services. Dangerous conditions are also forecast along coastlines due to large waves, with gusts up to 90mph in exposed areas. The storm will hit hardest on Saturday evening, before weakening on Sunday as it moves into the North Sea.
The Met Office’s forecast said: “A rapidly deepening area of low pressure, Storm Dave, will cross Scotland on Saturday night before clearing into the North Sea on Sunday.
“Whilst some uncertainty remains in the exact track and shape of Storm Dave, a spell of strong south-westerly winds is expected.
“Gusts of 50-60mph are expected fairly widely with 60-70mph in more exposed locations.
“The strongest winds are expected during Saturday evening where there is a small chance of gusts of 70-80mph briefly, particularly northern England and southern Scotland.
“Large waves may lead to some dangerous conditions around windward coasts.”
#StormDave has been named and is forecast to bring damaging winds across northern parts of the UK, with some disruptive snow possible in northwest Scotland later on Saturday and into Easter Day #WeatherAware pic.twitter.com/J0NZYD2SPC
— Met Office (@metoffice) April 2, 2026
The Met Office also warned some areas could experience power cuts, while warning “injuries and danger to life from flying debris are possible”.
Earlier, the RAC predicted it would be the busiest Easter on the roads since 2022.
Travel trade organisation Abta has also estimated that two million people from the UK will travel abroad between Good Friday and Easter Monday.
⚠️ NEW: #StormDave may affect your journey in Scotland, England and Wales on Saturday 4 and Sunday 5 April
— National Rail (@nationalrailenq) April 2, 2026
ℹ️ More information can be found here:https://t.co/v4VtxV5K00
Those driving in Scotland have been urged to check their journeys before setting off.
George Fiddes, from Transport Scotland, said: “Storm Dave is a timely reminder that we can face challenging weather conditions at any time of year, not just during the winter period.
“The Met Office warnings show high winds will impact the whole country this weekend, with the prospect of some areas also being affected by heavy rain and snow, so I’m urging people to plan ahead if they are travelling over the Easter period.
“Motorists should check their planned routes before setting off.”
A heads up for the weekend 👇 #StormDave is expected to bring strong winds and rain across Scotland from Saturday evening into Sunday morning. Winds will move in from the south-west and track across the country overnight. (1/4)
— Network Rail Scotland (@NetworkRailSCOT) April 3, 2026
Police in Scotland urged HGV and bus drivers to use “extreme caution” when Storm Dave hits at the weekend.
Network Rail Scotland said the worst affected lines would be on the Ayrshire coast, the East Coast Main Line and in the north-east.
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