.webp)
Strong winds and cancellations leave thousands stranded, with travel delays expected through Christmas Eve.
Thousands of people across the UK are facing travel disruptions this Christmas as strong winds cause widespread flight and ferry cancellations. The Met Office issued a yellow weather warning for heavy gusts, reaching up to 70 mph in some areas, with a peak of 82 mph recorded on Orkney and South Uist.
At Heathrow, more than 100 flights were cancelled, and most of these were British Airways, where passengers were advised to check for travel updates. The airline is providing free flight changes to short-haul passengers. At Belfast City Airport, disruption continued after an Aer Lingus flight from Edinburgh landed hard, and the runway was closed for the day.
Ferry services were heavily affected, with P&O's Larne-Cairnyran route cancelled without prior notice, leaving many passengers stranded. Stena Lines and other services between Northern Ireland and Scotland also saw cancellations. CalMac, which operates ferry routes along Scotland's west coast, reported that 29 out of 30 services were disrupted.
The weather also wreaked havoc on the roads as 21.3 million drivers were expected to travel on Sunday. The RAC had warned of severe congestion, particularly on major routes like the M1, M25, and M3. Meanwhile, the Great Western Railway had a closure between Crediton and Okehampton in Devon due to the conditions.
Even though winds are expected to moderate for Christmas Eve, there's little chance of a white Christmas, with temperatures north predicted to be well above average. Things are expected to settle by Christmas Day, bringing milder weather to the whole country.
.webp)
