DOZENS of flights to Heathrow have been grounded and hundreds more delayed with trains and ferries cancelled.
Britons planning a Christmas getaway have been hit with travel chaos this weekend amid a “perfect storm” of “severe gales”.
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Passengers queuing at Heathrow Airport terminal five Credit: Simon Jones
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90 flights were canceledCredit: PA: Press Association
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A yellow weather warning for wind is also in placeCredit: MET Office
FlightAware showed 33 flights from the airport were canceled today and a further 58 on Sunday, with Met Office weather warnings in place for “severe” 80mph gales.
More than 200 further flights are also delayed.
As reported by the Evening Standard, these figures were confirmed by the airport.
But when contacted by The Sun, a Heathrow spokesman disputed the figures, although he said he could not confirm the exact amount.
The airport said in a statement that “a small number of flights” were canceled on Saturday due to “strong winds and airspace restrictions”.
They added: “This will ensure that the vast majority of passengers can still travel safely as planned.
“We know how important travel is at this time of year and we have extra colleagues on hand at our terminals to support people on their journeys.
“We encourage travelers to check in with their airlines for the most up-to-date information about their flights.”
Meanwhile, P&O Ferries have also confirmed that journeys between Larne and Cairnryan have been canceled for at least 24 hours.
A spokesman said: “Due to adverse weather conditions, all P&O ferry services between Larne and Cairnryan have been canceled from 2000 tonight (December 21) until at least 2000 tomorrow night (December 22).
“We ask our customers not to travel to any of the ports if their sailings are canceled in order to avoid traffic delays.”
And the AA predicted 23.7 million drivers would hit the road yesterday, making it the busiest day on the roads since the group began recording in 2010.
It is predicted that 22.7 million drivers will get behind the wheel today and 21.3 million tomorrow.
A spokesman for the group said: “With more than 20 million car journeys expected on Saturday and Sunday, if congestion isn’t enough of a headache, the bad weather could create a perfect storm.
“We advise those traveling to allow more travel time and increase the distance between themselves and other road users.”
‘BUSIEST EVER’
It came after Heathrow said earlier this week it was preparing for its “busiest Christmas ever”.
West London Airport expects the number of passengers traveling through its terminals on December 25 to be 21 percent higher than on the same day last year.
It also predicts that the number of passengers for the entire month will exceed the previous record of 6.7 million in 2023.
The airport released the forecast after confirming it handled 6.5 million passengers last month in its “busiest November ever”.
Heathrow chief executive Thomas Woldbye said: “This year has been dedicated to delivering a high level of service to a record number of passengers at Heathrow, and November was no different.
Christmas storms threaten with 80km/h gusts to hit Scotland
“As we embrace the holiday season, our focus remains on ensuring smooth, joyful journeys – whether it’s helping passengers get away for Christmas to reunite with loved ones or ensuring cargo reaches its destination on time.”
Meanwhile, the Met Office is also predicting snow for some in the coming hours.
Storm surges will hit Scotland today, before spreading to northern England at around 11pm.
Meanwhile, a yellow wind warning is also currently in place, covering the north and north-west, including Manchester and Newcastle, as well as much of northern Ireland and all of Scotland.
Sunday’s warning will also cover London, the South East and South West, the East and West Midlands, Yorkshire and all of Wales and Northern Ireland.
Westerly winds are forecast to pick up on Saturday with gusts of 50-60mph expected, with some likely to reach 80mph.
Sunday’s warning will also cover London, the South East and South West, the East and West Midlands, Yorkshire and all of Wales and Northern Ireland.
Strong winds will be more widespread tomorrow, forecasters said, but the weather until Christmas will be “exceptionally mild”.
The Met Office said: “The strongest winds are expected in far north Scotland on Saturday afternoon and evening, with the potential for gusts in excess of 80mph in coastal areas including Orkney.
“Hazardous coastal conditions can also be expected, with large waves as an additional hazard, particularly in terms of embankments. This period of strong winds may lead to some disruption to traffic, including delays or cancellations of ferries.
“There will also be frequent showers on Saturday with showers which could briefly turn to more prolonged rain in the far north and northwest.
“Those showers could turn to snow in the hills of NW Scotland on Saturday night and then overnight and into Sunday.
“The snow will be concentrated in the hills, where a few inches may fall, but some sleet, snow and hail may fall at fairly low levels for a while, bringing possible freezing conditions by Sunday morning.”
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Snow is expected to affect Scotland and northern England todayCredit: MET Office
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