Rail delays and yellow wind warnings as Storm Dave due to ease on Easter Sunday
Storm Dave caused road closures and train disruptions early on Easter Sunday morning, with the forecast expected to clear throughout the day.
An amber wind alert for parts of northern England, north-west Wales and southern Scotland was lifted at 3am.
Two yellow wind alerts remain in place until noon for parts of northern England and Scotland, while a third alert for Wales will lift at 7am.
The Met Office’s forecast for Easter Sunday said: “Storm Dave will clear northeast on Sunday morning, leaving sunshine and widespread showers across the UK.
“Northern areas will see the heaviest, blustery showers and feel cold, while temperatures elsewhere stay closer to average for early April.”
Before the severe amber weather warning was lifted, the Met Office had forecast “severe gales” across central and northern areas of the country overnight into Sunday.
In the early hours of 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 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.
In England’s north, Network Rail Manchester announced rail replacement bus services would run between Manchester Picadilly and Chester due to overnight weather conditions.
As of 6am on Sunday, there were four coastal flood warnings and 32 flood alerts across England, with eight coastal flood alerts 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.”
Published: by Radio NewsHub