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Tourists cancel Easter breaks as Storm Dave to bring 80mph winds

Rowenna HoskinBBC Wales
Met Office A UK weather warning map showing wind alerts along the west of the country. A wide yellow-shaded area marked “Yellow – Wind” stretches from southwest Wales up the Welsh coastline and into northwest England, reaching toward the Manchester area. Within this zone, a smaller, darker orange-shaded region labeled “Amber – Wind” covers parts of western Wales near the coast, indicating a higher level of warning. Met Office
An amber and yellow weather warning have been issued for parts of Wales

An amber and yellow weather warning for wind gusts of up to 80mph has been issued by the Met Office for parts of Wales.

It said a spell of very strong wind which could disrupt travel and damage roads is expected to affect north and west Wales.

Many tourists looking to spend the Easter weekend in north and west Wales have cancelled, leaving some worried about the effect it will have on the tourism industry.

Charles Carnall, owner of Shoreside Caravans and Camping in Rhosneigr said: "The vast majority [of campers] have cancelled this morning and they started cancelling yesterday."

A man with a shaved head and a grey beard is leaning comfortably on top of a large green welcome sign that reads “Croeso i / Welcome to SHORESIDE Caravan Park.” He is smiling and dressed casually in a grey hoodie and dark trousers. The sign stands on a grassy area beside a stone wall, with palm-like trees and static caravans visible in the background under a bright, lightly clouded sky.
Charles Carnall, owner of Shoreside Caravans and Camping in Rhosneigr said the majority of campers have cancelled after hearing about the weather warning

The Met Office warned people to avoid driving or being outside in high winds.

The amber weather warning covers:

  • Conwy
  • Gwynedd
  • Isle of Anglesey

The yellow weather warning covers:

  • Ceredigion
  • Conwy
  • Denbighshire
  • Flintshire
  • Gwynedd
  • Isle of Anglesey
  • Pembrokeshire
  • Powys

Meteorologist and broadcaster Claire Nasir told BBC Radio Wales Breakfast: "Storm Dave is developing across the Atlantic, the centre of the low is going to skirt the Northern Ireland towards Scotland, so we're on the southern flank of that.

"Gusts will reach inland, probably about 50 to 60mph along the coast, possibly a little higher than that.

"We're talking about severe gales and associated high waves as well.

"There will be some heavy rain through evening time, the peak of the winds are likely to be from about five, six o'clock through to probably before midnight.

"That's when the worst weather will hit these parts, but its going to be windy across every part of Wales. It's going to be a lively and noisy night, there's risk of flying debris, also a small chance of power cuts as well."

She said the "vicious" storm will pass through quickly and Monday is set to be a "lovely day to be out".

Grassy banks with parked campervans, motorhomes, and static caravans arranged in neat rows. A green sign on the left reads “Shoreside Paddock,” marking part of the site. Wooden fencing and a metal gate line the right side of the road, with a tall utility pole nearby. In the distance, flat fields stretch toward the horizon under a bright blue sky with scattered clouds, giving the scene a spacious, coastal feel.
Other than a few hardy campers, Shoreside campsite has only seen touring vans and motorhomes continue with their plans

Speaking on Radio Wales Breakfast, Carnall said "a few hardened campers" have carried on with their plans but it is "very lucky... we're able to take touring vans and motorhomes as well".

"We are here to help customers in case things go wrong. We're very lucky as well that we have numerous other people on the park who help to keep an eye out for each other, but it does make things difficult for people."

When asked about the financial hit the campsite takes as a result of a storm, he said: "By the time you've mowed the fields, cleaned the toilets, got all your fire safety certificates in place, everything ready to go, it's always better to have more people rather than fewer."

Adrian Wright from Cefn Coed campsite in Penmaenpool, Gwynedd, said: "We had somebody with a birthday party planned and they cancelled because they were scared of getting trapped by the storm.

"In terms of percentages, less than 5% cancel but it's been people who have been seeing it on the news and the TV and they've panicked a bit."

Nia Rhys Jones from Anglesey has worked in the tourism sector for more than 30 years and said Easter is an important period marking the official start of the holiday season.

Speaking on Radio Cymru's Dros Frecwast, she said the storm will have some challenging implications for the tourism industry.

She said she was supposed to do tours with the holidaymakers on two luxury cruises and "lots of cottages have been booked with lots of attractions across the island depending on these tourists", but the cruises have decided to stay in Liverpool rather than docking at Holyhead.

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