Christmas travel chaos as storms batter the UK
Severe weather is causing chaos to Christmas travel across the UK.
Severe flooding has cut power at London Gatwick’s North Terminal, causing issues with manual check-in, and there are no trains to and from the airport.
London Heathrow is warning of cancellations and delays due to the heavy rain and high winds overnight.
Heathrow Express trains are currently running every 30 minutes instead of every 15.
"Following severe weather overnight there may be some disruption to flights on Tuesday 24 December. Passengers are advised to check the status of their flight with their airline prior to travelling to the airport," it said.
British Airways said services are returning to normal at Heathrow but said there are long flight delays at Gatwick due to the power failure.
"Gatwick Airport is investigating the fault and trying to restore power as soon as possible," it said.
"We strongly urge customers to check their flight details on ba.com before leaving for the airport."
EasyJet said it plans to operate all of flights today but due to the continued severe weather it warned passengers to expect some delays and disruption.
There are also delays at Bristol Airport.
Many ferry services are still disrupted, including services between Scotland and Northern Ireland.
The Port of Dover is now re-open and services resumed, but it is warning of possible disruption to schedules due to cancellations yesterday. Some travellers were forced to spend the night in their cars at Dover.
Brittany Ferries has been forced to divert its Portsmouth to Bilbao service to Brest this morning.
Meanwhile, the UK’s rail services have been badly hit, with many suspended until further notice.
The Highways Agency has warned drivers to take extra care.
"Road users are urged to check traffic and weather conditions before setting out on journeys and to heed any advice such as speed restrictions once they are on the strategic road network," said a spokesman.
"Be aware of sudden gusts of wind, and give high-sided vehicles, caravans, motorbikes and bicycles plenty of space. In the event of persistent high winds we may need to close certain bridges to traffic for a period, so please be alert for warnings of closures and follow the clearly signed diversion routes."
Bev
Editor in chief Bev Fearis has been a travel journalist for 25 years. She started her career at Travel Weekly, where she became deputy news editor, before joining Business Traveller as deputy editor and launching the magazine’s website. She has also written travel features, news and expert comment for the Guardian, Observer, Times, Telegraph, Boundless and other consumer titles and was named one of the top 50 UK travel journalists by the Press Gazette.
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