Thousands of travellers hoping to reach home for Christmas have had to organise last minute alternatives, as flights, ferries and trains have been cancelled across the UK, while drivers face traffic chaos on motorways.
National Highways is reporting severe congestion on multiple roads across the country, including the M6, M5 and M25.
It said the M1 has now reopened although drivers were still warned of delays after emergency services were called to a van fire there on Monday morning.
More than 100 flights at Heathrow, the UK’s busiest airport, were cancelled on Sunday. Dozens of ferry routes in Scotland and Ireland were not running due to the bad weather, while rail passengers faced chaos as Northern cancelled all trains on 11 routes.
Snow over the weekend also caused chaos on the M62, with one lane closed, as millions have taken to the country’s motorways ahead of Christmas.
More snow is expected towards the end of December, with the Met Office forecasting ice, sleet and snow is set to hit the north of the country and perhaps also central areas.
However, conditions are expected to improve this week after the widespread disruption caused by the “perfect storm” of adverse weather conditions and road congestion. The forecaster is currently predicting a “grey Christmas” with some sunny spells and “extremely mild” temperatures.
KEY POINTS
- M1 reopens after van fire but drivers still warned of delays
- Conditions expected to improve after bad weather disrupts Christmas travel
- Dozens of flights delayed or cancelled after Belfast City runway blocked by stricken plane
- More than 100 flights cancelled at Heathrow
- Chaos as hundreds of trains are cancelled by Northern
How to avoid travel chaos on road and rail this Christmas and New Year
16:00
Tara Cobham
Amber warnings for traffic gridlock, threatened strikes and the traditional rail engineering work interrupting major train links: it’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas.
The festive season this winter will be busier than ever, with record numbers of travellers predicted at London Heathrow and many other airports, as well as on Britain’s motorways.
The Independent’s travel correspondent Simon Calder explorers the key pinch points and potential problems – to help you plan to swerve the disruption, or at least to be prepared for crowds and chaos.
Christmas getaway period nears its end – but tens of millions of drivers still yet to hit the road
15:30
Tara Cobham
The Christmas getaway period is nearing its end, although tens of millions of drivers are still yet to hit the road.
The AA is forecasting there will be around 22.7 million drivers on the road on Monday, with 21.6 million on Christmas Eve.
AA president Edmund King said the UK’s roads have so far “coped relatively well with the traffic”.
He went on: “With Christmas Day falling on a Wednesday, drivers have already had four different days to travel.
“Most journeys have been relatively short, and the majority have been under 50 miles.
“Strategic roads and motorways near shopping centres have suffered the brunt of the congestion alongside some of the roads affected by adverse weather in Scotland and the North.”
Met Office forecasts ‘mild’ weather conditions won’t cause disruption during Christmas getaway
15:00
Tara Cobham
The Met Office has forecast a “mild Christmas” with weather conditions not expected to contribute to any disruption to roads as people travel home for the festive period.
Spokesman for the weather service Oli Claydon predicted “notably high temperatures” over the next few days, although added that this “doesn’t necessarily bring sunny skies unfortunately”.
Mr Claydon said: “The key notable factor of the weather through this week really is the mild conditions and higher temperatures.
“The risk of ice and any snow that we had over the weekend has diminished, and no notable heavy rain should bring any impacts to the transport network.”
He added that Christmas Eve on Tuesday was expected to be the mildest day with temperatures of 14C and potentially even up to 15C in some places.
Mr Claydon said a mild Christmas Eve could be fairly widespread from Torbay in Devon to the north east of Scotland, adding that temperatures in Scotland and Northern Ireland were “markedly above average” for the time of year.
He said Christmas Day on Wednesday would be a little less mild, with highs of 13C and maybe 14C.
He added that temperatures would tail off slowly towards the end of the week.
Met Office’s forecast for this afternoon predicts much less windy conditions for travellers
14:30
Tara Cobham
The Met Office has released its latest forecast for this afternoon, predicting much less windy conditions for travellers.
In a post on social media, the forecaster says: “A cloudy afternoon for most with periods of rain and drizzle spreading eastwards.
“Turning mild in the west but feeling chilly in the east, albeit much less windy than over the weekend.”
A cloudy afternoon for most with periods of rain and drizzle spreading eastwards ️
— Met Office (@metoffice) December 23, 2024
Turning mild in the west but feeling chilly in the east, albeit much less windy than over the weekend. pic.twitter.com/wuvRZUUeae
Travelling with kids as a divorced or separated parent this Christmas? All the legalities you need to know
13:30
Tara Cobham
Lawyers have warned divorced or separated parents who are planning to go on holiday with their children over the Christmas period that extra documents may be vital when travelling.
Taking a flight in the very busy, festive period can be a stressful thing to navigate, but family law and divorce lawyers at Rayden Solicitors are cautioning parents separated from their partners that there could be complications at the border.
Taking a child out of England and Wales without documents stating the other parent’s consent could result in being turned away from your flight. The lawyers add this will particularly be the case if those travelling now have a different surname from their child’s.
My colleague Amelia Neath reports:
Airport security announcement from Simon Calder
13:00
Travel correspondent Simon Calder
The travel correspondent of The Independent was formerly a security officer at Gatwick airport. With millions still to fly over the festive season, Simon Calder gives some seasonal advice.
Allow for long security queues
For people hoping to breeze through airport security, Christmas and New Year comprise a perfect storm. Fellow passengers:
- May be infrequent travellers and understandably unfamiliar with the rituals and rules on sharp objects and liquids
- Are carrying fragile and/or non-compliant gifts, eg bottles or snow globes as gifts, slowing things down further
- Tend to have coats, hats and scarves because it’s cold outside, adding to the quantity to be scanned
Wrap presents after security
Checkpoint staff may need to take a look at unfamiliar items. It will not be a great start to your festive journey if you have to stand and watch someone tear apart all your careful wrapping to examine the gift.
Leave Christmas crackers out
Some airports and airlines let them fly as cabin baggage, and some do not.
Liquid warnings
While the hope was that all UK airports would have new scanners that allow liquids to be taken through security in larger quantities by the end of 2024, in fact the rules everywhere have reverted to the 100ml limit for containers of liquids, aerosols and gels. They must be inside a clear, resealable 1 litre container.
If you plan to buy a bottle as a gift, wait until duty free; if you have connecting flights, buy at the last airport before your destination.
One celebratory drink is enough
Sorry to nag, but please don’t drink too much before or during your flight. Signs at Gatwick and other airports warn: “It is an offence for you to get on and be on an aircraft when drunk.”
Jet2 says it “will not permit any person to enter or be in an aircraft when suspected of being under the influence of alcohol or drugs to the extent that the safety of the aircraft or its occupants are likely to be endangered”.
Other airlines have similar policies.
Map: When and where to expect the worst traffic jams this Christmas
12:30
Tara Cobham
Aviation investigators fly to Belfast
12:00
Travel correspondent Simon Calder
A team from the Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) has travelled to Belfast City airport in Northern Ireland to assess the incident in which an Aer Lingus Regional plane landed heavily and its nosewheel collapsed. No passengers were on board the ATR 72 aircraft inbound from Edinburgh, and the crew were unharmed.
The runway was closed for the rest of Sunday on one of the busiest days of the winter for aviation. Dozens of flights were diverted or cancelled.
The Air Accidents Investigation Branch said in a statement: “An investigation has begun into an accident involving a fixed-wing aircraft which occurred at Belfast City Airport on 22 December 2024.
“AAIB inspectors have commenced the on-site investigation to gather evidence and make enquiries.”
Western Isles ferries: Christmas Eve disruption
11:30
Travel correspondent Simon Calder
Scotland’s main ferry operator, Caledonian MacBrayne, has revised schedules for Christmas Eve.
The link between Oban and the island of Barra has been rescheduled, with the morning sailing from the island brought forward by three hours to 4am. After crossing to Oban, the vessel will spend only 15 minutes in port before sailing back to Barra four hours ahead of schedule. As a result of rescheduling, one sailing from Oban to the island of Mull is cancelled on Christmas Eve morning.
Calmac is also warning on passengers on the Mallaig-Armadale link to southern Skye: “Due to forecast adverse weather, all sailings are liable to disruption or cancellation at short notice.”
On Monday, the link between Wemyss Bay and Rothesay on the isle of Bute is also under threat. The ferry line says: “Due to a forecast of poor visibility later this afternoon, this service is liable to disruption or cancellation at short notice.”
A round-up of the disruption facing the UK’s major airports
11:01
Travel correspondent Simon Calder
- Heathrow: Running smoothly after Sunday's weather-related cancellations – more than 100 flights were grounded, affecting 15,000 passengers. Inbound on Monday morning, British Airways from Johannesburg is six hours late due to a delayed departure from South Africa.
- Gatwick: Unlike Heathrow, there is no curfew at the Sussex airport – which was very busy overnight on Sunday into Monday, with many flights delayed by an hour or so. Worst delay was Tui from Barbados, arriving three hours behind schedule.
- Manchester: A similar picture to Gatwick: flights operating but delays overnight. Manchester was the starting point for the first passenger plane to land at Belfast City airport after the Northern Ireland airport reopened on Monday morning following the runway closure.
- Stansted: Unlike Sunday morning, the express rail link from London is running normally. Passengers on Ryanair from Tirana were expecting to arrive shortly after midnight, but instead landed three hours late. One notable arrival scheduled for Monday afternoon: a Titan Airways jet decorated as Santa’s Lapland, returning from Ivalo in Arctic Finland.
- Luton: Some disruption on Sunday evening, believed to be because of severe weather, saw an easyJet flight from Grenoble diverted to East Midlands. Other easyJet flights, including to Amsterdam and Glasgow, were about an hour late. On Monday morning, Ryanair has taken a couple of one-hour delays to Dublin and Knock in Ireland.
Watch: Christmas rail travel disrupted by station closures and strike action
10:35
Tara Cobham
M1 reopens after van fire but drivers still warned of delays
10:10
Tara Cobham
The part of the M1 that was closed due to a vehicle fire has now reopened.
The motorway was shut northbound between J22, near Leicester, and J23, near Loughborough, after a vehicle blaze.
National Highways said on Monday morning that drivers are still facing delays there of around 10 minutes.
The #M1 is now OPEN northbound between J22 #Leicester and J23 #Loughborough following a vehicle fire.
— National Highways: East Midlands (@HighwaysEMIDS) December 23, 2024
Delays of approx. 10 mins remain.
Thank you for your patience. Have a safe onward journey. pic.twitter.com/KyqcEK5t7Y
Belfast City Airport reopens after landing emergency
10:00
Tara Cobham
Belfast City Airport’s runway is “operating at normal” after it was forced to close following an emergency incident.
A plane’s nose wheel collapsed as it landed in the airport amid adverse weather conditions on Sunday afternoon.
There were four crew on board and no passengers when the hard landing occurred.
The incident triggered emergency procedures at Belfast City Airport and forced the runway to close for the rest of the day.
Several flights were redirected.
Emerald Airlines, which was operating the flight, said the incident was a result of adverse weather conditions that has been disrupting travel across the UK.
On Monday morning, Belfast City Airport said normal operations were resuming.
In a statement, it said: “The runway at Belfast City Airport has now reopened and normal operations will resume today.
“Passengers impacted by yesterday’s runway closure or those due to travel today should check the status of their flight with the airline before making their way to the airport.”
Part of M1 is closed as van is on fire with drivers facing huge delays
09:18
Tara Cobham
Part of the M1 is closed because a van is on fire, with drivers facing huge delays.
National Highways said the M1 remains closed northbound between J22, near Leicester, and J23, near Loughborough, on Monday morning.
It added that emergency services including Leicestershire Fire and Rescue Service continue to work at the scene where a van is on fire.
A diversion route is in place for motorists, although they are advised to allow for extra journey time amid delays, or even to postpone travel.
Pictures show long queues building up on that section of the motorway.
The #M1 remains CLOSED northbound between J22 #Leicester and J23 #Loughborough due to a vehicle fire.@LeicsFireRescue continue to work at scene.
— National Highways: East Midlands (@HighwaysEMIDS) December 23, 2024
For more info: https://t.co/c6IhCAcPDX pic.twitter.com/MysSFWtvdD
Met Office’s ice warning remains in place
08:58
Tara Cobham
The Met Office has issued an ice warning for parts of the UK.
The yellow weather alert is in place across areas in northeast Scotland until 10am today.
⚠️ Yellow weather warning issued ⚠️
— Met Office (@metoffice) December 22, 2024
Ice across parts of northeast Scotland
Sunday 2100 - 1000
Latest info https://t.co/QwDLMfS950
Stay #WeatherAware⚠️ pic.twitter.com/D29xmdFzP6
UK could see a ‘grey Christmas’ rather than a white one, forecasts Met Office
08:29
Tara Cobham
Looking ahead to next week, conditions are expected to improve and the UK could see a “grey Christmas”, rather than a white one.
Met Office meteorologist Dan Stroud said: “We’re expecting to see some sunny spells further east and a lot of cloud from the west.
“Temperatures should rise considerably and it will be extremely mild over Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.
“In England and Wales, temperatures will be well above average with some grey 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 around double where we usually are.
“Overnight temperatures in Scotland for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day will be extremely mild.”
Conditions expected to improve after bad weather disrupts Christmas travel
08:00
Tara Cobham
Conditions are expected to improve this week after bad weather caused disruption during the Christmas getaway period.
The Met Office has forecast a “grey Christmas” with some sunny spells and “extremely mild” temperatures.
It comes after a “perfect storm” of adverse weather conditions and road congestion led to widespread disruption during the Christmas getaway.
Dozens of flights delayed or cancelled after Belfast City runway blocked by stricken plane
07:25
Travel correspondent Simon Calder
George Best Belfast City airport has reopened after the runway was blocked by a stricken plane – but widespread disruption continues through Monday morning.
The drama began shortly after 4pm on Sunday afternoon when an Aer Lingus Regional ATR72 aircraft flew in from Edinburgh on a “positioning” flight to Belfast City. Four crew but no passengers were on board.
After a 40-minute flight the propellor plane made what the airline called a “hard landing” because of bad weather. The nose wheel collapsed, leaving the aircraft resting on its nose. No one was hurt, but the runway was blocked. Four incoming flights were diverted to Belfast International and two to Dublin, and dozens were cancelled.
The airport says: “Following an incident on 22 December, the runway at Belfast City Airport has reopened and is operating as normal.”
The runway is certainly open, with the first passenger flight from Manchester touching down at 7.15am, but operations are far from normal.
A British Airways flight that was due out at 5.25pm on Sunday but which was diverted to Dublin is now expected to leave at 9am.
The early departure on KLM to Amsterdam is cancelled because the aircraft could not reach Belfast City.
Many flights are delayed by several hours. The Emerald Airlines fleet of 10 aircraft has been reduced by one, while the aircraft is assessed and repaired, which will cause more cancellations.
Christmas travel: Worst times for driving during ‘record festive getaway’ revealed by RAC
06:30
Maroosha Muzaffar
Drivers have been warned which major routes to avoid this Christmas season as experts predict a record number of festive trips will be made.
Around 29.3 million Christmas journeys will take place between Wednesday and 24 December, the RAC has estimated, with nearly half taking place on the pre-Christmas weekend alone.
Surveying over 2,000 drivers, the motoring group has urged festive commuters when to avoid major routes over the coming days. On Friday, it’s best to stay off the roads for the five hours between 2pm and 7pm on Friday 20 December, with nearly three million trips planned across the day.
This jumps to a massive 3.72 million on Saturday, when drivers are urged to avoid the five hours between 1pm and 6pm and set off well before this “gridlock” period if they can.
An acceptable level of travel cancellations? Discuss
06:00
Holly Evans
Christmas getaway under threat by 80mph winds as Met Office warns of travel disruption
05:30
Maroosha Muzaffar
People joining the Christmas getaway this weekend are being warned of heavy rain and winds of up to 80mph that are likely to cause travel disruption.
Millions of journeys are expected to be made across the country by car, in what the RAC breakdown service said could be a “pretty exhausting experience” for travellers due to the “wet and windy” conditions.
And it did not start well for many on Friday with hold-ups on many of the country’s main routes. They included motorists on the M5 who were stuck in 90-minute queues after hay bales on the back of a lorry caught fire near Exeter.
The incident closed two of four southbound lanes between J30 for Exeter and J31 for Shillingford Abbot and came at the same time there were queues caused by a crash on the M4 near Bristol and congestion around Dartford Bridge on the M25.
Read more here:
Met Office reveals whether white Christmas is coming to UK in forecast
05:00
Maroosha Muzaffar
Britons hoping for a white Christmas are set to be sorely disappointed with a mild and grey 25 December, forecasters have predicted.
For the Met Office to declare a white Christmas, a single snowflake has to be observed falling in the 24 hours of Christmas Day anywhere in the UK.
However, the day is likely to be settled, cloudy and dry with light winds for most of the UK, according to the forecaster.
There is a small chance of rain across north-west Scotland, though temperatures are expected to be widely mild, dashing any hopes of snow.
Read more here:
Plane crash lands in high winds at UK airport as poor weather disrupts Christmas travel
04:30
Maroosha Muzaffar
A plane crash-landed in high winds at a Belfast airport as poor weather disrupted travel across the UK in the run-up to Christmas.
Belfast City Airport was forced to enact emergency procedures on Sunday after a plane’s nose wheel collapsed upon landing in adverse weather conditions. There were no reported injuries.
There were four crew and no passengers on board the Emerald Airlines flight when the hard landing occurred at around 4pm on Sunday afternoon, as winds of up to 82mph battered parts of the UK.
The incident caused the runway to be closed for the rest of the day, after what the airport said had been the busiest day of the year so far on Friday, and several flights were diverted to Belfast International Airport on Sunday evening.
It came as weather warnings were in force across the UK, save for eastern parts of England, causing ferries, trains and flights to be cancelled in a blow to passengers travelling to spend Christmas with their loved ones.
Read more here:
Travel disruption: Why are the trains always chaotic at Christmas?
04:00
Maroosha Muzaffar
Travel chaos is expected across the UK as the Christmas getaway gets underway.
It comes as weather warnings kick in for parts of the UK, roads and public transport could be disrupted by strong winds as the Met Office forecast a wet and windy weekend for many.
But one predictable issue that always arises during the festive season, is train delays, changes and a full shut down of the entire rail network on Christmas day.
This is because it is the one day of the year that engineering works take place, giving Network Rail and train companies an opportunity to carry out the largest heavy duty jobs when many across the UK are spending the day with loved ones.
Simon Calder explains:
Conditions expected to improve after bad weather disrupts Christmas travel
03:30
Maroosha Muzaffar
Conditions are expected to improve this week after bad weather caused disruption during the Christmas getaway period.
The Met Office has forecast a “grey Christmas” with some sunny spells and “extremely mild” temperatures.
It comes after a “perfect storm” of adverse weather conditions and road congestion led to widespread disruption during the Christmas getaway.
The Met Office issued yellow warnings for wind which remained in place until 9pm on Sunday.
The warnings were in place in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, and in England the warnings covered the North East, North West, South West and West Midlands as well as Yorkshire, Derbyshire and Hampshire.
Read more:
Alternative routes to get people home for Christmas after Holyhead port closure
03:10
Maroosha Muzaffar
People have been ferried to Ireland on alternative routes after the temporary closure of Holyhead port in an effort to get people home for Christmas, a Welsh Cabinet Secretary has said.
The busy ferry port in Anglesey, North Wales, was forced to close following damage during Storm Darragh and is not set to reopen until January 15 at the earliest.
All ferry services between Dublin and Holyhead are currently cancelled, upending travel plans for thousands in the festive season.
But alternative sailings to Ireland have been taking place this weekend amid high winds and challenging conditions.
Gusts of up to 75mph were forecast for parts of the UK on Sunday, with wind warnings in force across Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, and large swathes of England.
Read more here:
Worst times for driving during ‘record festive getaway’ revealed by RAC
02:00
Holly Evans
Met Office’s five day weather forecast
00:00
Holly Evans
This Evening and Tonight:
Showers becoming confined to far eastern coasts and winds will slowly ease. Clear spells developing overnight for most, but cloud building in the west towards dawn. Feeling cold overnight with a touch of frost in some prone spots.
Monday:
Dry and fine in the east with prolonged periods of sunshine, though feeling chilly. Outbreaks of rain and extensive low cloud spreading into western areas, and turning mild.
Outlook for Tuesday to Thursday:
Predominantly settled, mild and cloudy for the Christmas period. Best chance of brighter spells to the east of high ground. Wetter and windier across northwest Scotland.
Met Office reveals whether white Christmas is coming to UK in forecast
Sunday 22 December 2024 22:00
Holly Evans
Britons hoping for a white Christmas are set to be sorely disappointed with a mild and grey 25 December, forecasters have predicted.
For the Met Office to declare a white Christmas, a single snowflake has to be observed falling in the 24 hours of Christmas Day anywhere in the UK.
However, the day is likely to be settled, cloudy and dry with light winds for most of the UK, according to the forecaster.
Read the full article here:
Winds up to 82mph recorded
Sunday 22 December 2024 21:00
Holly Evans
The Met Office has recorded winds up to 82mph in Kirkwall as a yellow weather warning continues to remain in place.
Other high recordings include South Uist Range also at 82mph and St Bees Head which reached 76mph.
We're continuing to see strong winds today, with weather warnings in force until 9 o'clock this evening ️
— Met Office (@metoffice) December 22, 2024
These are some of the strongest wind gusts recorded so far this weekend pic.twitter.com/kPyWsCFmfU
Flights and ferries to Scottish islands cancelled amid yellow warning for wind
Sunday 22 December 2024 20:00
Holly Evans
Windy weather has caused travel disruption for people living on Scottish islands, with ferries and flights cancelled.
A Met Office yellow weather warning for wind is in place until 9pm on Sunday, covering the whole of Scotland as well as areas south of the border.
Several Loganair flights from Glasgow Airport to the Hebridean islands have been cancelled, and 18 CalMac ferry routes have also been axed.
Gusts of 82mph were recorded at Kirkwall on Orkney and at South Uist in the Outer Hebrides – the strongest winds across the UK as of 2.30pm on Sunday, the Met Office said,
CalMac cited “strong winds with gusts up to 60mph” as the reason it cancelled all sailings on the Troon to Brodick service, connecting Ayrshire with the Isle of Arran.
The ferry operator pledged to review cancellations on the Oban to Craignure route, connecting Argyll and Bute with the Isle of Mull, with the possibility that a 7.20pm sailing could go ahead on Sunday.
How to avoid travel chaos on road and rail this Christmas and New Year
Sunday 22 December 2024 19:00
Holly Evans
Amber warnings for traffic gridlock, threatened strikes and the traditional rail engineering work interrupting major train links: it’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas.
The festive season this winter will be busier than ever, with record numbers of travellers predicted at London Heathrow and many other airports, as well as on Britain’s motorways.
These are the key pinch points and potential problems – to help you plan to swerve the disruption, or at least to be prepared for crowds and chaos.
Read the full article here:
An acceptable level of travel cancellations? Discuss
Sunday 22 December 2024 18:00
Holly Evans
Caledonian MacBrayne: further disruption for passengers to the Western Isles
Sunday 22 December 2024 17:00
Holly Evans
Scotland’s main ferry operator, Caledonian MacBrayne, has cancelled most sailings to and from the Western Isles for the rest of Sunday due to extreme weather – and has also revised schedules for Monday and Christmas Eve.
The shipping firm says the first sailing from Ardrossan to Brodick on the isle of Arran is cancelled on Monday.
On Tuesday (Christmas Eve), the link between Oban and the island of Barra has been rescheduled, with the morning sailing from the island brought forward by three hours to 4am. After crossing to Oban, the vessel will spend only 15 minutes in port before sailing back to Barra four hours ahead of schedule.
As a result of rescheduling, a sailing from Oban to the island of Mull is cancelled on Christmas Eve morning.
Christmas getaway delays as more than 100 flights cancelled at Heathrow
Sunday 22 December 2024 16:30
Holly Evans
Watch live: Planes struggle to land in strong winds at London’s Heathrow Airport
Sunday 22 December 2024 15:50
Holly Evans
Temperatures to be ‘extremely mild’ over Christmas
Sunday 22 December 2024 15:13
Holly Evans
Looking ahead to next week, conditions are expected to improve and the UK could see a “grey Christmas”, rather than a white one.
Met Office meteorologist Dan Stroud said: “We’re expecting to see some sunny spells further east and a lot of cloud from the west.
“Temperatures should rise considerably and it will be extremely mild over Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.
“In England and Wales, temperatures will be well above average with some grey 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 around double where we usually are.
“Overnight temperatures in Scotland for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day will be extremely mild.”
Heathrow cancellations rise above 100 but most other airports are running smoothly
Sunday 22 December 2024 14:45
Simon Calder
Sunday 22 December is the busiest day of the winter at three of the UK’s leading airports: London Gatwick, Stansted and Manchester. Operations at all three are running smoothly, unlike at London Heathrow where “flow-rate” restrictions have caused the cancellation of more than 100 flights.
The most significant problems in Europe outside Heathrow are at Funchal airport on the island of Madeira. Several flights have been diverted, including to the nearby island of Porto Santo and the Canary Islands.
An easyJet flight from Gatwick circled for 45 minutes to the northeast of Funchal before diverting to Tenerife. The inbound service from the island of Madeira to Gatwick has been grounded.
The airline told passengers: “We’re sorry that your flight has been cancelled. This is because strong winds in Madeira are preventing aircraft from arriving and departing. The safety of you and our crew is our highest priority and we thank you for your understanding.”
Travellers who were booked to fly home on the cancelled plane are entitled to be flown on any airline with seats available – but space is at a premium so close to Christmas.
Windy conditions could see gusts up to 75mph
Sunday 22 December 2024 14:20
Holly Evans
Met Office meteorologist Dan Stroud said that Sunday could see gusts of up to 75mph.
He said: “There will continue to be more challenging travel conditions, with coastal areas seeing around 50 to 60mph winds.
“Extremely exposed coastal areas could see up to 70 or 75mph and parts of the west are expected to see 40 or 50mph.
“In the evening we are expecting these to ease and gradually drop off.
“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.”
Severe weather leads to train line closure
Sunday 22 December 2024 13:55
Holly Evans
The train line between Crediton and Okehampton in south England have closed due to the weather, Great Western Railways have said.
In a post on social media,
