Pre-Christmas travel disruption expected as 70mph gusts hit UK with yellow weather warning issued
22 December 2024, 07:32
Stormy weather with gusts of up to 70mph are set to cause pre-Christmas travel disruption including on the roads, railways and ferries.
A yellow warning for wind is in force until 9pm on Sunday across Northern Ireland, Wales, Scotland and most of England - with the storm covering an area west of Southampton, Birmingham and Newcastle.
The Met Office is forecasting a "prolonged period of strong winds" which is likely to cause "some disruption over the weekend, especially to travel".
"Dangerous coastal conditions can be expected too, with large waves an additional hazard," the warning said.
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Gusts of 50 to 60mph are being forecast widely across the UK, with the prospect of 70mph around some exposed coasts and hills especially in the North and West.
Showers, hail and thunder are also possible in places.
Several ferry services have been cancelled including with operators NorthLink and CalMac in Scotland. Other routes between the UK and Ireland are being disrupted - made worse by the temporary closure of the port at Holyhead.
Trains to and from Stansted Airport are not running because of a points failure, there is also a points failure between Redhill and Gatwick Airport.
Separately a shortage of staff is causing "higher than normal levels of cancellations" on Northern.
National Rail has warned the bad weather could lead to possible disruption to journeys across Scotland, Wales and England.
Some ScotRail routes have speed restrictions in place between Glasgow and Oban/Mallaig, and the Inverness service to Kyle/Wick.
A road replacement service is also operating on Great Western between Exeter Central and Okehampton/Barnstaple.
Various yellow warnings also apply to western counties of Ireland - with the last alert ending at 3pm on Sunday.
Met Eireann has issued wind warnings for "sustained strong and gusty westerly winds" in Clare, Kerry, Limerick, Donegal, Galway, Leitrim, Mayo and Sligo.
There is also the chance of hail, sleet and snow for Cavan, Donegal, Monaghan, Leitrim and Louth.
On Saturday, a gust of 82mph was recorded in South Uist on the Western Isles, coinciding with a now-expired yellow warning.
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Heathrow Airport said "a small number of flights" had been cancelled on Saturday due to "strong winds and airspace restrictions".
The AA predicted 21.3 million drivers will hit the road on Sunday, slightly fewer than figures expected on Friday and Saturday.
Meanwhile, the RAC estimated seven million leisure trips would be made during the weekend, which excludes everyday traffic.
(c) Sky News 2024: Pre-Christmas travel disruption expected as 70mph gusts hit UK with yellow weather warning issued
