Most of North Yorkshire is now covered by an amber weather warning.
York and North Yorkshire was already under a yellow weather warning for high winds as Storm Dave is set to sweep in.
Today the Met Office upgraded the warning for wind across much of our county to amber, meaning flying debris could lead to “injuries or danger to life”.
The A66, where it crosses the high ground, is now closed to all traffic between Bowes and Brough as a precaution.
At just after 11pm a gust of 74mph was recorded at the Tan Hill Weather Station north west of Richmond.
There was also a report of winds over 90mph up on Stainmore Summit by the A66.
Power cuts have been reported near Sutton-on-the-Forest, on the North York Moors and in the villages around Yarm and to the north of Northallerton.
The amber warning affects places to the north of York including Easingwold, Thirsk, Pickering and Whitby.
The yellow warning for wind runs from 7pm tonight (Saturday, 4 April) to 7am tomorrow (Sunday).
The amber warning runs from 7pm tonight to 3am tomorrow.
Those travelling over the Easter weekend have been told there could be disruption on the roads as well as on rail, air and ferry services.
Train operator LNER says: “The arrival of Storm Dave is expected to bring high winds to large parts of northern England and Scotland from Saturday 4 to Sunday 5 April. Yellow weather warnings have now been issued by the Met Office.
“At this time, there are no planned changes to our timetable in reaction to the weather. However, if you are travelling over the Easter Bank Holiday, especially to or from the north of England or Scotland, we recommend checking your full journey, including any connections with other operators before you set off.”
Storm Dave will hit hardest on Saturday evening, before beginning to weaken on Sunday as it moves into the North Sea.
The good news is it will start to get milder from Monday, with temperatures peaking at 18°C on Wednesday.
