Storm Dave will be crashing into the UK over the Easter Bank Holiday Weekend, bringing power cuts, falling debris and travel delays with it.
Four Met Office yellow weather warnings for wind and one yellow warning for snow will be active on Saturday and Sunday.
The national weather service is urging people to pack essentials in advance of the storm, especially in areas at risk of outages.
It said: ‘It’s easy to do; consider gathering torches and batteries, a mobile phone power pack and other essential items.’
Dave, the fourth named storm this year, could lash some parts of Scotland, Northern Ireland, northern Wales and northern England with 60mph winds and as high as 90mph in northern Scotland.
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While up to 5-10cm of snow could blanket areas over 200m in northern Scotland.
The gusty winds could lead to blackouts and mobile service outages across northwestern parts of the UK on Saturday evening and night.
The wind could also whip up towering waves and hurl roof tiles and garden furniture, the Met Office warns, posing a ‘danger to life’.
For coastal communities, weather officials recommend: ‘Take care if walking near cliffs; know your route and keep dogs on a lead.’
Motorists should also ensure they have certain items stowed away in case of driving out in the wet, windy and snowy conditions.
The yellow weather alert advises: ‘Leave more time to prepare and check your car before setting off; make sure you have essentials packed in your car in the event of any delays (warm clothing, food, water, a blanket, a torch, ice scraper/de-icer, a warning triangle, high visibility vest and an in-car phone charger).’
Some 21.7million road journeys took place yesterday, making it one of the busiest run-ups to the four-day Easter weekend ever seen, the AA said.
Rebecca Guy, senior policy manager at Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents, told Metro that the storm will make driving ‘challenging’.
‘In wet and windy conditions, it’s vital to slow down, increase the gap between you and the vehicle in front, and keep both hands firmly on the wheel,’ she said.
‘Heavy rain can greatly reduce visibility and increase stopping distances, while strong crosswinds can make handling more difficult, especially for high‑sided vehicles.
Other items like oil, coolant and screenwash are also good to have on hand this weekend.
Storm Dave is being caused by a cold front from Canada racing over the North Atlantic, spinning up a powerful low-pressure system.
These systems have immense sway on our weather as the UK sits roughly where the freezing air of the north clashes with the sweltering tropical air.
Storms like Dave are named because weather officials want public health warnings to be consistent.
People can submit names, with Dave being someone’s ‘beloved husband who can snore three times louder than any storm’.
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