“Prepare Now”: Met Office Warns of 90mph Gusts and Power Cuts Ahead of Storm Dav
London, April 4, 2026 — The Easter Bank Holiday weekend in the UK is set to be battered by severe weather. The UK Met Office has officially named “Storm Dave”—the fourth named storm of the season—and has issued sweeping yellow weather warnings across more than half the country, warning of potential danger to life, travel chaos, and widespread power cuts.
A rapidly deepening area of low pressure sweeping in from the Atlantic is expected to hit the UK starting Saturday evening (April 4) and continuing into Easter Sunday.
“Danger to Life” and 90mph Winds
The primary threat from Storm Dave is highly destructive winds. The Met Office has issued yellow severe weather warnings covering the entirety of mainland Scotland, Northern Ireland, northern England, and the west coast of Wales.
“Peak gusts of 50-60 mph will be possible fairly widely, with 60-70 mph in more exposed locations,” stated the Met Office’s official forecast. “There is a slight chance of some very strong winds at times where gusts of 80-90mph may be possible in exposed areas, particularly coastal regions in Scotland.”
Forecasters have explicitly warned of a “danger to life” resulting from flying debris, damaged buildings (such as blown roof tiles), and massive waves throwing beach material onto coastal roads and properties.
Heavy Snow and Blizzards in the North
Alongside the gale-force winds, Storm Dave is bringing an Arctic blast that will trigger heavy snowfall in northern regions. The Met Office anticipates accumulations of 5 to 10 cm of snow in areas over 200m in elevation across northern Scotland, with some higher peaks seeing up to 20 cm.
Combined with the severe gusts, this heavy snow is expected to create blinding blizzard conditions, drastically reducing visibility and causing major hazards for drivers.
Easter Travel Chaos Expected
With millions of Britons expected to hit the roads to visit family and friends for the Easter weekend, motoring groups are sounding the alarm. The RAC has warned drivers not to underestimate the severity of the crosswinds, particularly when driving high-sided vehicles or traversing exposed, elevated routes.
Residents in the 77 areas currently covered by the yellow warnings have been heavily advised by the Met Office to prepare for potential utility outages. Citizens are being urged to secure loose outdoor items like trampolines and garden furniture, and to gather essentials such as torches, batteries, warm clothing, and mobile phone power banks in the event of prolonged power cuts.
While the North and West will face the brunt of Storm Dave’s fury, the Met Office notes that Southern England is expected to remain relatively drier, with a brief window of settled, brighter weather expected nationwide by Easter Monday as the storm finally clears into the North Sea.
Source(s): Storm Dave warning extended to more of Greater Manchester as strong winds and rain to batter UK – Manchester Evening News, Storm Dave named as Easter bank holiday weekend to bring up to 90mph winds and snow to UK | The Independent, Storm Dave weather warnings for more than HALF of UK as Met Office says ‘prepare’ – The Mirror, Storm Dave: Met Office urges 77 areas to gather torches and batteries before Easter | Weather | News | Express.co.uk