Storm Dave will ease through Easter Sunday, forecasters say

The worst of Storm Dave will pass over the United Kingdom during the course of Easter Sunday, weather forecasters have said.

An amber weather alert remains in place for parts of northern England, Scotland and Wales until 3am on Sunday – with the yellow weather alert lifting at noon.

The Met Office’s forecast for Easter Sunday said: “Storm Dave will clear away to the northeast…  leaving sunshine and showers across the UK for Easter Sunday. The showers look particularly heavy and blustery in the north.”

But before the severe weather warning is lifted, the Met Office said that “severe gales” are expected across central and northern areas of the country in the early hours of Sunday.

On Sunday, Traffic Scotland warned that several major bridges had restrictions in place due to strong winds, including the Queensferry Crossing on the M90, which connects Edinburgh with Fife and the nearby Forth Road Bridge on the A9000.

The roads authority also confirmed the A87 near Sconser on the Isle of Skye was cleared after 3am, having earlier been restricted in both directions due to adverse weather conditions.

On Saturday, gusts of wind of up to 66mph were recorded in Capel Curig, north Wales. Meanwhile, the A66 was closed in both directions due to the strong winds, National Highways said in a statement.

The Humber Bridge in Yorkshire was closed in both directions to high-sided and vulnerable vehicles early on Sunday due to strong winds, National Highways reported.

Elsewhere, ScotRail confirmed emergency speed restrictions would be implemented across parts of its network, resulting in longer travel times.

There were four flood warnings and 32 flood alerts in place across England as of 5am, while eight flood alerts remained in place in Wales.

The Energy Networks Association (ENA) – which represents electricity network operators – warned of potential power cuts and issued safety advice following the weather warnings.

It said in a statement on Saturday: “The storm has the potential to affect local power infrastructure, increasing the risk of a power cut and fallen power lines.

“Network operators are increasing staffing for operational teams, and moving spare equipment to where the weather is expected to be most disruptive, so it’s ready to use if needed.”