Storm Dave Causes Partial House Collapse in Blackpool Amid High Winds

Storm Dave affected parts of the UK on Saturday, with an amber wind warning in place for northern England, north-west Wales, and southern Scotland until 03:00 BST on Sunday. The storm led to a partial collapse of a house on Westbourne Avenue in Blackpool.

Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service crews responded to the incident at about 06:45 BST, confirming that the gable end of the property had fallen into the alleyway next to it.

Donna Hanna and her daughter had lived in the house until a week ago, when they moved to another property on the same road. Hanna stated that she and her daughter were shocked to see the substantial damage at their former home. The property was empty at the time of the collapse.

Fire and rescue operations involved the Urban Search and Rescue Team from Chorley Fire Station, working with partner agencies to secure the scene. A spokesperson for Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service noted that it had been a busy night for crews across the county due to the storm. No injuries were reported from the Blackpool incident.

The storm brought gusts forecast to exceed 70 mph (113 km/h) in Blackpool on Saturday night. Additional impacts included debris blown onto the beach and sea foam sprayed onto the promenade, with a clean-up operation ongoing. In Morecambe, further along the Fylde Coast, scaffolding was dislodged from a building and landed on a nearby road, which fire services cleared.

Elsewhere, a tree was blown over in Greater Manchester and cleared by Trafford Council staff. The strongest recorded gust during the storm was 93 mph at Capel Curig in north Wales. Other notable gusts included 75 mph at Emley Moor in West Yorkshire and St Bees Head in Cumbria, and 73 mph at Buchan in Aberdeenshire.

Met Office spokesperson Marco Petagna reported that winds eased more quickly than forecast across Scotland, northern England, and Wales. As a result, yellow wind warnings were lifted earlier than anticipated. Storm Dave moved away from the affected areas by Sunday morning, reducing immediate risks to infrastructure and residents.