Storm Dave is disrupting Easter travel across the United Kingdom this weekend as the Met Office warns of gusts reaching 80 to 90mph in exposed coastal areas of Scotland, 50 to 60mph more widely across northern England, and 5 to 10cm of snow on higher ground, making this one of the most disruptive Easter weekends in years for millions of British travellers. The storm has compounded an already difficult travel picture: Network Rail has shut down the West Coast Main Line between London Euston and Milton Keynes for six days from Good Friday as part of more than 270 infrastructure upgrade projects running over the bank holiday.
The Met Office issued weather warnings covering large parts of Scotland, northern England and Wales, cautioning that roads and bridges in affected areas could close, ferry services face cancellations, and power outages could disrupt mobile phone coverage.
Scotland is bearing the worst of the storm, with exposed coastal locations potentially seeing gusts of 80 to 90mph and some areas above 200 metres expected to receive 10 to 20cm of snow with the additional hazard of blizzard conditions and drifting.
Travel disruptions across rail, road and sea
The six-day West Coast Main Line closure leaves passengers without intercity rail services between London and the north-west of England for the entire Easter bank holiday period.
Network Rail has advised travellers to check their journeys in advance and use replacement coach services where available.
Ferry operators crossing the Irish Sea and sailing between the Scottish islands and the mainland are preparing for significant disruption, with a combination of high winds and heavy seas expected to force cancellations across multiple routes.
The Met Office warned that there is a small chance of injuries from flying debris in the most severely affected areas.
Road travel across northern Britain faces similar pressure, with the Met Office warning that exposed bridges and elevated sections of motorway may close temporarily as winds intensify during Saturday evening.
What this means for South Africans in the UK
South Africans living and working in the UK, and those travelling to visit family over the Easter break, should check their specific routes against the latest Met Office warnings before travelling.
SA expats in Scotland are in the most affected zone. The disruption is expected to ease by Sunday as Storm Dave moves east, but the Easter bank holiday
Monday could still see residual travel delays.
What happens next
The Met Office will update its weather warnings as Storm Dave progresses through the weekend. Passengers affected by train cancellations should check National Rail Enquiries at nationalrail.co.uk for the latest replacement service information.
Ferry operators including Caledonian MacBrayne and Stena Line are updating their sailing status pages in real time.
