Storm Dave roundup

Storm Dave swept across the southern UK on 2 April 2026 as the seventh named system of the 2025–26 European windstorm season, peaking at 153.7 km/h sustained gusts (≈95 mph) and earning the Met Office's amber rating across multiple regions.

What hit and where

The peak gust readings clustered along the south coast and across exposed Pennine ridgelines. By the time the system cleared the North Sea, structural damage reports were filtering in from East Anglia and Lincolnshire, and operational impact landed across the rail network.

Member reports during Dave were thinner than they should have been — partly because the wind window was overnight, partly because the system tracked further north than the early ECMWF runs suggested. Worth a learning moment for next time: when the steering jet shifts north of forecast, our southern-UK domain catches the trailing edge rather than the bullseye.

What the verification engine matched

Of the reports submitted, the MetOffice NSWWS reconciler matched roughly 60% to active warnings within ±60 minutes and 50 km. The unmatched reports were typically late — submissions trickled in over the 36 hours after the peak, by which time the warning grid had collapsed. If you've ever chased a Friday-night windstorm and submitted a report Sunday morning, this is why your verification status comes back unmatched. The system reconciles against warnings active at the time of the event.

Reference

The storm sits in the admin storm archive alongside its ICEYE SAR coverage. SAR scenes typically land 24–72 hours after the system clears, so check back later this week if you want the post-event flood-extent imagery.

Coordinator note: this draft was seeded from the historical storms archive. Replace this section with your own field experience before publishing.

— CSU-ONE