Storm Dave caused road closures and train disruption as it swept across northern parts of the UK bringing heavy snow and strong gusts of wind.
Gusts reached 93mph at Capel Curig in North Wales and gusts of 75mph were recorded at Emley Moor in West Yorkshire and St Bees Head in Cumbria, and one of 73mph was recorded at Buchan in Aberdeenshire, the Met Office said.
Some Caledonian MacBrayne ferry services on Scotland’s west coast were disrupted by the weather, and some motorists faced disruption due to fallen trees blocking routes. Several major bridges in Scotland also had restrictions due the high winds, including the Queensferry Crossing and the Forth Road Bridge near Edinburgh.
Speed limits were put in place causing delays for ScotRail passengers, while Network Rail replaced trains between Manchester Piccadilly and Chester with buses.
In Dublin, pilots faced challenging conditions as they attempted to land in the blustery weather. The airport cancelled 17 flights causing further travel disruption into the Bank Holiday weekend as crews are now displaced.
The amber weather warning was in place until 3am on Sunday and the Met office warned of “severe gales” with flying debris and large waves which could result in injuries and danger to life.
Three yellow warnings across parts of northern England, Scotland and Wales had been due to remain in place until midday on Easter Sunday but were lifted by around 7.30am as the weather improved.
Marco Petagna, a Met Office spokesman, said: “The winds eased down a bit more quickly than forecast across Scotland, northern England and Wales.
“Storm Dave is pulling away and the warnings are easing more quickly than forecast so the yellow warnings were no longer warranted.”
There are now no weather warnings in place for this week.
The Met Office’s forecast for Easter Sunday said: “Storm Dave will clear north east 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.”
As of 9am on Sunday, there were three flood warnings and eight flood alerts in place in Scotland.
In England there was one flood warning and 23 flood alerts, and Wales had three coastal flood alerts.
Weekend weather forecast
Sunday:
Cloud, rain and hill snow across the far northeast clearing, as winds continue to ease. Sunny spells and blustery showers for many, but southern areas may to stay dry. Chilly.
Monday:
Winds will ease as Storm Dave clears into the North Sea on Sunday. Blustery showers will continue across Scotland and Northern Ireland while much of England and Wales will become fine.
Easter Monday will be the driest day of the Easter weekend, with a ridge of high pressure in the wake of Storm Dave bringing a more settled day. Most areas will see some sunny spells after a chilly night.
