LAST-MINUTE Christmas shoppers caused major traffic jams – flights were canceled due to 80km/h winds and trains stopped.
Photos show stationary traffic outside Lakeside Shopping Center in Essex.
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Last minute shoppers sat in traffic outside Lakeside in Essex Credit: Paul Edwards
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Passengers stranded at Heathrow AirportCredits: Louis Wood
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Shoppers on busy Oxford Street in central LondonCredit: LNP
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The Meteorological Service has issued a yellow wind warning
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Winds lashed the west coast yesterdayCredit: MET Office
Oxford Street in central London is also full of Brits and tourists looking for gifts.
Meanwhile, passengers are facing chaos at the airport after strong winds grounded more than 100 flights on the runway overnight.
Hundreds of Britons returning home for Christmas are stranded in Portugal as 82mph winds lash Britain.
Their EasyJet flight from Madeira to Gatwick was one of more than 100 canceled due to strong winds last night, leaving passengers scrambling for alternative routes.
Meanwhile, the AA is predicting a staggering 22.7 million drivers will be on the roads today and has issued yellow warnings for certain places.
National Highways will remove roadworks on 95 percent of roads that manage to make travel smoother.
The Met Office has forecast a “gray Christmas” with sunny spells and “extremely mild” temperatures.
A “perfect storm” of adverse weather conditions and road congestion has led to major disruption during the Christmas break.
The forecaster has also issued a new yellow ice warning for parts of north-east Scotland until 10am this morning.
The airport was forced to carry out emergency procedures yesterday after the plane’s front wheel collapsed as it landed in Belfast.
There were four crew members and no passengers when the “hard landing” occurred on Sunday afternoon.
The incident triggered emergency procedures at Belfast City Airport and forced the runway to close for the rest of the day.
In a statement on social media early this morning, the airport confirmed that the affected runway had “reopened and is operating normally”.
The statement continued: “Passengers affected by yesterday’s runway closure or those due to travel today should check with their airline for the status of their flight.”
WINGING IT
Heathrow Airport confirmed around 100 flights had been canceled and passengers were advised to check with their airline before travelling.
A Heathrow spokesman said: “Due to strong winds and airspace restrictions, a small number of flights have been cancelled.
“This will ensure that the vast majority of passengers can still travel as scheduled.
“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 passengers to check with their airline for the latest information about their flight.”
The airport wanted to emphasize that the vast majority of flights are operating normally.
Several Loganair flights from Glasgow Airport to the Hebrides have also been cancelled, and 18 CalMac ferry routes have also been disrupted.
FERRY CHAOS
Disruption continued as people were flown to Ireland via alternative routes following the temporary closure of Holyhead port in a bid to get people home for Christmas, the Welsh Government secretary said.
A busy ferry port in Anglesey, North Wales, was forced to close after damage during Storm Darragh and is not due to reopen until January 15.
All ferry services between Dublin and Holyhead are currently canceled, disrupting the travel plans of thousands over the festive season.
But the alternative sailing to Ireland took place this weekend amid high winds and challenging conditions.
The weekend’s strongest winds were recorded at 82mph in Kirkwall, Orkney and the South Uist Range.
Meanwhile, the coldest temperature of the weekend was recorded in Killylane, Co Antrim, Northern Ireland, where the mercury dropped to minus 0.4C on Sunday.
MOTOR HAS
The AA predicted 21.3 million motorists would hit the roads on Sunday, while 22.7 million were expected on Saturday, slightly down from 23.7 million on Friday, which was expected to be the busiest day on the road since the group started keeping records in 2010.
The RAC estimated that seven million recreational journeys would be made on major roads over the weekend, excluding everyday traffic.
Looking ahead to next week, conditions are expected to improve and the UK could see a “grey Christmas” rather than a white one.
Meteorologist Dan Stroud, from the Met Office, said: “We are expecting sunny spells further east and lots of cloud from the west.
“Temperatures should rise significantly and will be extremely mild during Christmas and Christmas.
“In England and Wales temperatures will be well above average with some gray in the mix.
“We’re expecting an average of around 12C or 13C on Christmas Eve and 11C or 12C on Christmas Day. The usual average for this time of year is 7C or 8C so we’ll be about twice as high as usual.
“Overnight temperatures in Scotland over Christmas Eve and Christmas Day will be extremely cold.”
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Huge waves hit the North Somerset coast this morningCredit: Alamy
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Emerald Airlines plane’s landing gear collapses on touchdown Credit: Pacemaker Press
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Commuters arriving at London’s King’s Cross station this morningCredit: LNP
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Traffic at a standstill outside Lakeside Shopping Center in Essex Credit: Paul Edwards
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