Brits abroad are facing a panic on whether they’ll be able to get home in time for Christmas after strong winds hitting the UK forced flights to be cancelled between Portugal and London
Hundreds of Brits face being stuck for Christmas after 82mph winds begin to lash the United Kingdom.
The Met Office has issued a yellow weather warning for England, Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales, meaning families in Portugal face a frantic delay as they return home for the festive period. easyJet flights from Madeira to Gatwick were cancelled earlier today because of the winds, leaving passengers looking for alternative routes.
Explaining the decision to flyers, an easyJet spokesman said: “We’re sorry that your flight has been cancelled. This is because strong winds in Madeira are preventing aircraft from arriving and departing. The safety of you and our crew is our highest priority and we thank you for your understanding.” Those who were booked to come home on the cancelled plane are entitled to be flown on any airlines which still have seats available, but so close to Christmas, that is easier said than done.
Heathrow is advising passengers to check with their airline before travelling, The Sun reported. A spokesman for the airport said: “Due to strong winds and airspace restrictions, a small number of flights have been cancelled today. This will ensure the vast majority of passengers can still travel as planned.
“We know how important travel at this time of year is and have extra colleagues on hand in our terminals to support people on their journeys. We encourage passengers to check with their airline for the latest information about their flight.” The airport was keen to stress the vast majority of flights are operating as normal.
The AA predicts around 22.7 million drivers will be on the road on Monday, December 23, as people rush home for the festive period. It has issued amber warnings for certain spots. National Highways will be removing roadworks on 95 percent of the roads they manage to make journeys smoother.
A spokesman said: “If the congestion wasn’t enough of a headache, the inclement weather could create the perfect storm. We advise those heading out to allow extra time to travel and increase the distance between themselves and other road users.”
It comes as around 100 flights have been axed at Heathrow today. Some flights on Loganair between Glasgow Airport to the Hebridean islands have also been cancelled as a result of the poor weather. Multiple CalMac ferry routes have also be called off, leaving passengers stranded.
The Met Office said the strongest gusts of winds around the UK came at around 2.30pm. 82mph winds were recorded at Kirkwall on Orkney and at South Uist in the Outer Hebrides.
Warnings for strong winds are expected to remain in place until 9pm – more than 24 hours since they were first issued. Meteorologist Dan Stroud said: “There will continue to be more challenging travel conditions, with coastal areas seeing around 50 to 60mph winds. Extremely exposed coastal areas could see up to 70 or 75mph and parts of the west are expected to see 40 or 50mph.
“In the evening we are expecting these to ease and gradually drop off. My advice for people travelling today and tonight is to take it easy, particularly in the north and east. The main concern is that there’s the potential for icy patches in some areas.”
Warnings remain in Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and in England the warnings cover the North East, North West, South West and West Midlands as well as Yorkshire, Derbyshire and Hampshire. Snow also hit Scotland this morning.
The Met Office said: “Snow will be focused over hills, where several centimetres may fall, but some sleet, snow and hail may fall to quite low levels for a time, bringing possible icy conditions by Sunday morning.”
P&O Ferries said journeys between Larne and Cairnryan have been cancelled until at least 8pm on Sunday. While 29 of 30 CalMac routes on Scotland’s west coast were either cancelled or affected by disruption on Sunday.
Rail operator ScotRail put speed restrictions in place for part of the route between Glasgow and Oban/Mallaig, as well as the Inverness service to Kyle/Wick.
The RAC estimated seven million leisure trips would be made on major roads during the weekend, which excludes everyday traffic.It predicted that congestion hotspots will be on both directions of the M1 to Gatwick via the M25 and the M23; Liverpool to Chester on the M53; Oxford to the south coast via the A34 and the M3; the M25 to the south coast along the M3; and at the Taunton to Almondsbury Interchange in Bristol heading down the M5.
