Storm Ciara – Hundreds of flights are cancelled as biggest storm in 7 years thunders towards Britain with 90mph winds
HUNDREDS of flights have been cancelled as Britain’s biggest storm in seven years sweeps into the country with 90mph hurricane-force winds. Weather bomb Storm Ciara is set to cause travel mayhem as it hurtles into Britain overnight. It is already causing chaos for Brits – with nearly 200 flights in and out of Europe, as […]
HUNDREDS of flights have been cancelled as Britain’s biggest storm in seven years sweeps into the country with 90mph hurricane-force winds.
Weather bomb Storm Ciara is set to cause travel mayhem as it hurtles into Britain overnight.
It is already causing chaos for Brits – with nearly 200 flights in and out of Europe, as well as dozens to and from UK airports, cancelled or delayed.
Travellers leaving Gatwick are facing 41 delays and one cancellation, while Heathrow has 37 flight delays and further three cancellations.
While flights are also disrupted in and out of Glasgow, Manchester and Liverpool airports.
It isn’t just planes being affected by Storm Ciara – the roads, ferries and trains are also going to be battered.
“It’s Black Sunday for travel,” said RAC spokesman Simon Williams.
“More road accidents are expected due to debris and vehicles being blown off course.”
TRAVEL CHAOS
Network Rail has warned people not to travel- with disruptions continuing into Monday if repair work on the lines is effected.
Passengers travelling on Sunday and Monday morning are also urged to check for updates before they travel.
Yellow weather warnings have been issued for the North West, which will bear the brunt of the bad weather.
Wind and rain warnings for tomorrow were also extended this afternoon to cover all of the UK.
Forecasters said Ciara will be more powerful than any tempest since the Met Office began naming storms in 2015 – and the strongest storm for seven years, since 2013, which saw the St Jude’s Day storm and Christmas gale chaos.
Storm Ciara is strengthening as its air pressure plunges by 24 milibars in 24 hours to 12noon tomorrow, qualifying it as a ‘weather bomb’.
Weather maps show the 1,000-mile wide storm being catapulted across the Atlantic, bringing 30ft waves to South-West and North-West coasts and 50ft waves offshore.
Gales will continue as the South sees its first snow and sleet flurries of winter on Monday and Tuesday with an inch of snow at low levels in Scotland.
ROYAL PARKS CLOSED
London’s major parks including Hyde Park, Richmond Park, Kensington Gardens and Green Park will be closed on Sunday due to safety concerns over Storm Ciara.
Bushy Park, The Green Park, Greenwich Park, The Regent’s Park & Primrose Hill, Richmond Park and St James’s Park will also be shut.
The Royal Parks said it was concerned about its “significant population of ancient and veteran trees that are vulnerable to high winds,” and has taken this rare measure to protect public safety.
In addition, Brompton Cemetery and Victoria Tower Gardens will be closed.
All parks are due to reopen on Monday.
CIARA ‘WORST SINCE 2013’
Residents have been warned to expect flooding of homes and businesses and delays to bus and train services.
Power lines could be downed and coastal routes and sea fronts blasted by large waves.
Sky News forecaster Chris England said: “It’s likely Ciara will be the most intense storm since 2013.”
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Rain warnings are in place on Sunday for south and north Wales, Cumbria and Lancashire, southern Scotland and Northern Ireland with up to 80mm of rain (3.1 inches) expected.
The average rainfall in South Wales for the whole of February is 85mm (3.3 inches).
