Roads blocked and homes without power as Storm Dave brings snowy start to Easter Sunday

Roads have been blocked and homes left without power as Storm Dave battered Scotland over Easter weekend.

The Met Office issued four alerts across much of the country, including an amber alert for strong winds and a yellow warning for snow, as the storm swept in on Saturday evening.

Gusts of up to 73mph were reported in Buchan, with fallen trees blocking some routes and power outages reported.

Dozens of homes lost power, with engineers hoping to reconnect people by 11pm on Sunday evening.

Parts of Moray and the Highlands experienced heavy snowfall overnight, while Glasgow and Edinburgh enjoyed a wintry start to Easter Sunday with a flurry of sleet and snow.

Traffic Scotland has warned motorists to take care on the roads in the wake of Storm Dave, with restrictions placed on the Forth Road Bridge, Dornoch Bridge and Tay Road Bridge.

Several Caledonian MacBrayne ferry services were cancelled and some services could see disruption continue into Monday.

The capital experienced snow on Easter Sunday STV News

ScotRail said emergency speed restrictions will be implemented on sections of the rail network following the storm, which could impact journey times.

Three red flood warnings issued by SEPA remain in place on Sunday, with the River Isla at Coupar Angus, Aberbothie and Innerpeffray to Bridge of Earn all affected.

Why is it snowing on Easter Sunday?

STV weather presenter Philip Petrie says that while Scots would probably expect to see snow over Christmas rather than months later during Easter, it is actually more likely for flurries to appear during the spring months.

He said: “Snowing at Easter is actually a lot more common than many people realise, and it’s often surprising for those who expect the sunny, spring conditions.

“Despite being deep into spring, it is statistically more likely nowadays to see snow at Easter than at Christmas.”