Heathrow Airport cancels scores of flights due to high winds

Flights to the UAE appear to be operating as normal

Bad weather has been affecting flights at Heathrow Airport in London. EPA

Thousands of passengers faced disruption on Sunday as Heathrow airport cancelled dozens of flights and rescheduled 100 more after the UK was hit by winds of up to 120kph.

"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,” a representative for Heathrow, Europe's busiest airport, said.

"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."

Flights to the UAE appeared to be operating as normal as of mid-afternoon.

A yellow warning for wind, which came into force at 7am on Saturday, was expected to remain in place until 9pm on Sunday, according to the UK’s Met Office. Warnings remain in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, and in England the warnings cover the north-east, north-west, south-west and the West Midlands as well as Yorkshire, Derbyshire and Hampshire.

Met Office meteorologist Dan Stroud said 80kph to 95kph winds would affect coastal areas, with 110kph to 120kph gusts expected to hit the most exposed areas.

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"In the evening we are expecting these to ease and gradually drop off,” he said on Sunday. "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."

P&O Ferries said journeys by sea between Larne in Northern Ireland and Cairnryan in southern Scotland had 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 disrupted on Sunday.

Rail operator ScotRail said speed restrictions were in place for part of the route between Glasgow and Oban/Mallaig, and the Inverness service to Kyle/Wick. The disruption comes amid warnings of a "perfect storm" of bad weather and congestion on the roads.

The AA predicted 21.3 million drivers would 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 forecast to be the busiest day on the roads since the group's records began in 2010.

"If the congestion wasn't enough of a headache, the inclement weather could create the perfect storm,” a representative said. "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 congestion hotspots would be 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.

Looking ahead to next week, conditions are expected to improve and the UK could see a "grey Christmas", rather than a white one, which will be "extremely mild", with temperatures above average.

"In England and Wales, temperatures will be well above average with some grey in the mix. We're expecting an average of around 12°C or 13°C on Christmas Eve [December 24] and 11°C or 12°C on Christmas Day [December 25]. The usual average for this time of year is 7°C or 8°C so we'll be around double where we usually are. Overnight temperatures in Scotland for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day will be extremely mild."