75mph gusts forecast as Christmas getaway disruption continues

Winds of up to 75mph have been forecast for parts of the UK as the Christmas getaway period continues to see disruption caused by bad weather.

Heathrow Airport has confirmed around 100 flights have been cancelled on Sunday and passengers are advised to check with their airline before travelling.

It comes as the Met Office said yellow warnings for wind, which came into force at 7am on Saturday, are expected to remain in place until 9pm on Sunday.

A Heathrow spokesperson said: “Due to strong winds and airspace restrictions, a small number of flights have been cancelled today. This will ensure the vast majority of passengers can still travel as planned.

“We know how important travel at this time of year is and have extra colleagues on hand in 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 was keen to stress the vast majority of flights are operating as normal.

So far this weekend, the strongest wind speed has been recorded at 82mph in Kirkwall on Orkney and the South Uist Range.

Met Office meteorologist Dan Stroud told the PA news agency 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.”

P&O Ferries said journeys between Larne in Northern Ireland and Cairnryan in southern Scotland have been cancelled until at least 8pm on Sunday.

CalMac, which operates ferry services on Scotland’s west coast, said 29 of its 30 routes are either cancelled or affected by disruption on Sunday.

Rail operator ScotRail said speed restrictions are in place for part of the route between Glasgow and Oban/Mallaig, and the Inverness service to Kyle/Wick.

It comes amid warnings of a “perfect storm” created by bad weather and congestion on the roads.

The AA predicted 21.3 million drivers will hit the road on Sunday, while 22.7 million had been expected on Saturday, slightly fewer than the 23.7 million on Friday which was expected to be the busiest day on the roads since the group’s records began in 2010.

“We advise those heading out to allow extra time to travel and increase the distance between themselves and other road users.”

The RAC estimated seven million leisure trips would be made on major roads during the weekend, which excludes everyday traffic.

It predicted congestion hotspots will be both directions of the M1 to Gatwick via the M25 and the M23; Liverpool to Chester on the M53; Oxford to the south coast via the A34 and the M3; the M25 to the south coast along the M3; and at the Taunton to Almondsbury Interchange in Bristol heading down the M5.

Looking ahead to next week, conditions are expected to improve and the UK could see a “grey Christmas”, rather than a white one.

Mr 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.”