This revised report presents the key developments behind Storm Dave Brought Heavy Snow, 93mph Winds and Power Cuts: What the Met Office Recorded in a clearer structure, without adding claims beyond the original article.
Storm Dave brought an unusual combination of damaging wind, heavy rain and late-season snow to northern and western parts of the UK over Easter weekend 2026.
Before the event, the Met Office warned that the storm could cause power cuts, dangerous travel and snow disruption.
Afterwards, verified observations showed a peak gust of 93mph at Capel Curig in north Wales and around 6cm of lying snow at Loch Glascarnoch in Scotland.
Thousands of homes experienced electricity disruption in parts of the country.
When did Storm Dave hit?
The main impacts occurred from 4 to 5 April 2026.
When was it named?
The Met Office named Storm Dave on 2 April as confidence increased in damaging winds and heavy precipitation.
Why the storm deepened rapidly
A strong Atlantic jet stream supported a deep low-pressure system moving across the UK.
What did forecasters warn about?
Very strong winds, power cuts, fallen trees, travel disruption and snow over higher ground.
Amber wind warning
An amber warning covered parts of northern England, southern Scotland and north-west Wales.
What does amber mean?
It indicates a higher likelihood or impact of severe weather than a typical yellow warning and can justify changes to travel plans.
Peak gust: 93mph
Capel Curig recorded the highest reported gust in the Met Office post-event summary.
Why Capel Curig is exposed
Its mountain setting in north Wales is well known for high wind speeds.
Aberdaron
The Met Office also recorded an 83mph gust at Aberdaron.
St Bees Head
Cumbria recorded a gust of around 75mph at St Bees Head.
Why one weather station does not represent a whole county
Wind speed can change sharply with height, coastline exposure and terrain.
The snow
Colder air wrapped around the low-pressure system and produced snow in parts of Scotland.
Loch Glascarnoch
The Met Office reported around 6cm of lying snow there.
Why 6cm in April was notable
It was not an exceptional Scottish winter depth, but it coincided with Easter travel and followed mild spring weather.
Blowing snow
Strong wind can reduce visibility dramatically even when total snowfall is moderate.
Why blizzard-like conditions are dangerous
Drivers and walkers can lose visual reference points and snow can drift across roads.
Higher ground
Mountain roads and upland routes were more vulnerable than low-lying city centres.
Rainfall
Western Scotland also received substantial rain.
Glen Ample
The Met Office cited around 50mm during the storm period.
Why snow and rain can fall from the same storm
Temperature changes with altitude and air mass, so lower areas can receive rain while hills receive snow.
Power cuts
Homes in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland lost electricity as wind affected networks.
How storms damage power lines
Falling trees and branches can bring down overhead cables or damage local distribution equipment.
Why rural restoration can take longer
Faults may be spread across large areas and engineers cannot safely access every site during peak winds.
What to do in a power cut
Use the local electricity network operator’s outage map and emergency contact information.
Why national articles cannot give local restoration times
Each fault has a different cause, location and repair requirement.
Rail disruption
Operators imposed speed restrictions and dealt with debris and storm damage.
Why trains slow in high winds
Lower speeds give drivers more time to react to trees or obstructions and reduce risk on exposed sections.
Road disruption
Fallen trees blocked roads in Scotland and elsewhere.
High-sided vehicles
Lorries, vans and caravans face greater crosswind risk than smaller cars.
Bridge restrictions
Some exposed crossings operated with restrictions during the storm.
Ferries
Western Scottish and Irish Sea services were among those disrupted.
Why ferry disruption can precede bad weather on land
Open-water conditions can become hazardous before towns see their strongest gusts.
Easter timing
The event coincided with one of the busiest leisure-travel periods of the year.
Why timing increases impact
The same storm can create more disruption when roads, hotels and ferries are already busy.
Was every part of Britain badly affected?
No.
Impacts were concentrated in northern and western areas.
Southern England
Many southern locations experienced much less severe conditions.
Why national headlines can sound misleading locally
A UK-wide article may feature the most extreme measurement even though millions of people see ordinary weather.
What the Met Office said afterwards
Its analysis described Dave as the most severe April windstorm since the UK storm-naming system began in 2015, based on the spread of high gusts.
Was it the strongest April storm ever recorded?
No.
The longer observational record contains stronger individual April gusts.
Why that wording matters
“Since storm naming began” covers a relatively short period and should not be turned into an all-time claim.
Late-season snow records
Snow in April is unusual at low levels but not unprecedented in the UK, especially in Scottish mountains.
Why forecasting snow is difficult
A difference of one or two degrees can determine whether precipitation falls as rain, sleet or snow.
Power-cut preparation
Before severe wind, charge phones and power banks, secure loose outdoor objects and keep a torch available.
Medical equipment
People who depend on powered medical devices should follow their provider’s emergency plan and contact the network operator about priority services where eligible.
Why candles are not ideal
Open flames create a fire risk during a power cut.
Battery-powered lighting is generally safer.
After the storm
Fallen trees, damaged power lines and snow can remain hazardous even after weather warnings expire.
Do not approach damaged electrical equipment
Keep away from fallen cables and report them to the relevant network operator or emergency services.
Why this page should now use observations
The original story was written while warnings were live.
Months later, verified measurements and impact reports are more useful than future-tense predictions.
Conclusion
Storm Dave justified the Met Office’s Easter warnings.
It produced a 93mph gust at Capel Curig, late-season snow in Scotland, heavy rain and electricity disruption across several regions.
The event was severe but geographically uneven, with northern and western Britain taking the strongest impacts.
An accurate historical account should now focus on measured weather and actual disruption rather than simply repeating pre-storm forecasts.
Sources and further reading
See the Met Office warning, its post-event review and Sky News’ live-impact report.
Why the snow warning focused on Scotland
Cold air was most likely to support snow at elevation in northern Britain. Much of England and Wales remained too mild at low levels for widespread settling snow.
Snow level matters
A forecast can mention snow while most people in the warning area see rain. Whether snow settles depends on altitude, ground temperature, precipitation intensity and time of day.
Why wet snow can damage power lines
Snow that sticks to cables and branches adds weight. When combined with high winds, that can increase the chance of trees or lines failing.
Wind was the larger network threat in Dave
For many power cuts, falling trees and severe gusts were more important than snow accumulation itself.
Why network operators prepare crews in advance
When severe weather is forecast, electricity companies can position engineers, vehicles and replacement equipment near likely impact zones.
That reduces travel time once conditions are safe enough for repair work.
The Priority Services Register
Eligible customers who are elderly, disabled, medically dependent on power or otherwise vulnerable can register for additional support from energy-network companies.
Why mobile networks can also be affected
Base stations usually have backup power, but extended electricity loss or physical damage can still disrupt mobile service.
That is another reason to keep emergency contact plans and battery power available.
Why flooding was not the only water-related concern
Heavy rain can saturate ground, making trees easier to uproot in strong winds even where rivers do not flood.
Fallen trees after the peak
A damaged tree may remain unstable after the strongest gusts have passed.
Post-storm cleanup therefore carries risks even once weather warnings expire.
Why weather warnings use impact as well as probability
A forecast system must consider how damaging an event could be and how likely it is.
A lower-probability event can still justify a significant warning if the possible consequences are serious.
Why a 93mph mountain gust is not a home-wind forecast
Capel Curig is highly exposed. Using that single number without location context can make people in sheltered towns believe they experienced or narrowly escaped the same wind speed.
Why post-event reports are valuable
Forecasts tell people what might happen. Post-event analysis tells engineers, planners and the public what actually happened and helps improve future warning decisions.
Climate versus weather
One severe April storm does not by itself establish a long-term climate trend.
Climate analysis requires many years of data and attribution research rather than a single event.
Why April storms can still be disruptive in a warming climate
Milder average conditions do not eliminate cold-air outbreaks or strong Atlantic lows. Weather remains variable even as the climate changes over decades.
What travellers should learn from Dave
Use local warnings, not only national headlines; check transport operators; and continue checking conditions after the warning ends because infrastructure recovery can lag behind the weather.
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