Holidaymakers face travel disruption this Easter weekend due to a combination of Storm Dave, new post-Brexit border checks and railway engineering work. The Met Office has issued yellow weather warnings for wind affecting all of mainland Scotland, Northern Ireland, parts of Northern England and Wales from Saturday into Sunday.
As well as the weather, the motorways are expected to experience the busiest Easter on the roads since 2022, according to the RAC motoring group, with millions also leaving the UK to travel abroad. There is a chance of “injuries and danger to life” from flying debris while the strong winds may also cause some damage and travel disruption, forecasters said. The strongest gusts will be in Scotland and could be up to 80 to 90mph for a short time in exposed locations.
A yellow warning for snow has also been issued for northwest Scotland and could bring 10 to 20 centimetres in some places. The alert will be in place from 3pm on Saturday until 3am on Sunday. Across mainland Scotland, a yellow warning for wind will be in force from 6pm on Saturday until midday on Sunday. A wind warning covering Northern England and North Wales will be in place from 5pm on Saturday until 7am on Sunday, and a second one will take effect in Northern Ireland from 2pm on Saturday until 2am the following day.
Those travelling in Scotland over the weekend were warned to expect potential delays to their journeys. George Fiddes, from Transport Scotland, said: “Storm Dave is a timely reminder that we can face challenging weather conditions at any time of year, not just during the winter period.” Police in Scotland urged HGV and bus drivers to use “extreme caution” when Storm Dave hits at the weekend.
Meanwhile, Britons heading to the European Union are being warned to expect two-hour delays on arrival as countries deploy a new border entry system. Two million people from the UK are expected to travel abroad between Good Friday and Easter Monday, according to travel trade organisation Abta. The EU’s Entry/Exit System involves people from third-party countries, such as the UK, having their fingerprints registered and photograph taken to enter the Schengen Area. Ryanair boss Michael O’Leary described the impact as a punishment for Brexit, saying there had been “significant disruption” at passport control since the changes began.
Thousands of Easter train journeys will be disrupted as Network Rail carries out more than 270 upgrade projects across Britain. A six-day shutdown on the West Coast Main Line begins on Good Friday, meaning no intercity services will run between London Euston and Milton Keynes.
