Hundreds of Brits stranded abroad just days before Xmas as flights axed due to 82mph winds – & it’s only getting WORSE
See a map of traffic hotspots expected tomorrow below
HUNDREDS of Brits heading home for Christmas have been stranded in Portugal as 82mph winds lash the UK.
Their EasyJet flight from Madeira to Gatwick was cancelled due to strong winds today, leaving passengers in a scramble to find alternative routes.
The airline told passengers: “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.”
Travellers who were booked to fly home on the cancelled plane are entitled to be flown on any airline with seats available – but space is at a premium so close to Christmas.
Meanwhile, the AA predicts that a whopping 22.7 million drivers will be on the road on December 23 and 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.
It comes as around 100 flights have been axed at Heathrow today.
Several Loganair flights from Glasgow Airport to the Hebridean islands have also been cancelled, and 18 CalMac ferry routes have been called off.
Gusts of 82mph were recorded at Kirkwall on Orkney and at South Uist in the Outer Hebrides – the strongest winds across the UK as of 2.30pm on Sunday, the Met Office said.
Heathrow is advising passengers to check with their airline before travelling.
A spokesperson 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.
FORECAST
The Met Office said warnings for “severe” gales are expected to remain in place until 9pm today – more than 24 hours after being issued.
Met Office 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.
And this morning, more snow hit in parts of Scotland.
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.
CalMac, which operates ferry services on Scotland‘s west coast, said 29 of its 30 routes were either cancelled or affected by disruption on Sunday.
Rail operator ScotRail announced that speed restrictions would be in place for part of the route between Glasgow and Oban/Mallaig, and the Inverness service to Kyle/Wick.
CONGESTION HEADACHE
The AA predicted 21.3 million drivers will hit the road on Sunday while 22.7 million had been expected on Saturday, slightly fewer than the 23.7 million on Friday which was expected to be the busiest day on the roads since the group’s records began in 2010.
A spokesperson 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.”
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.
It comes after Heathrow said earlier this week it was preparing for the “busiest Christmas ever”.
The West London airport expects the number of passengers travelling through its terminals on December 25 to be 21 per cent higher than on the same day last year.
It also predicts that passenger numbers for the month as a whole will exceed the previous record of 6.7 million in 2023.
The airport made the forecast after confirming it served 6.5 million passengers last month in the “busiest ever November”.
5-day weather forecast
Today:
Widely windy with gales, severe in the north and west.
Frequent showers arriving from the northwest, heavy with hail and providing snow over hills before gradually fading later.
Sunny spells in between, but feeling very cold in the strong winds.
Tonight:
Showers becoming confined to far eastern coasts and winds slowly moderating.
Clear spells overnight for most, but cloud building in the west towards dawn.
Touch of frost in sheltered spots.
Monday:
Dry and fine in the east with prolonged periods of sunshine, though feeling chilly.
Outbreaks of rain and extensive low cloud spreading into western areas, and turning mild.
Outlook for Tuesday to Thursday:
Predominantly settled, mild and cloudy for the Christmas period.
Best chance of brighter spells to the east of high ground. Wetter and windier across northwest Scotland.