Flights and ferries cancelled as strong winds batter the UK

The Met Office has issued yellow weather warnings for parts of the UK which will be in place until 9pm on Sunday (December 22).

Winds of up to 80mph are forecast in some parts and are expected to cause travel disruptions and power outages across the weekend.

What different Met Office weather warnings mean

The Met Office said: “The strongest winds are expected across the far north of Scotland on Saturday afternoon and evening, with the potential for gusts in excess of 80mph in coastal districts including Orkney.

“Dangerous coastal conditions can be expected too, with large waves an additional hazard, especially with respect to causeways.

"This period of strong winds may lead to some transport disruption, including ferry delays or cancellations.

“Frequent blustery showers will also be a feature on Saturday and may merge into a longer spell of rain for a time in the far north and north west.”

Winds will remain strong across parts of Scotland this afternoon, and becoming widely windy elsewhere throughout the rest of the weekend.

Yellow wind warnings are in force across western and northern parts, so do stay #weatheraware if you are planning any travel ⚠️ pic.twitter.com/S7byToz50O

— Met Office (@metoffice) December 21, 2024

Heathrow Airport flights cancelled due to strong winds

Heathrow Airport confirmed a “small number of flights” had been cancelled on Saturday (December 21) due to “strong winds and airspace restrictions”.

A spokesperson said: “This will ensure the vast majority of passengers can still safely 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 in with their airlines for the latest information about their flights.”

Some flights from Heathrow Airport have been cancelled today (Saturday, December 21) due to "strong winds and airspace restrictions". (Image: Steve Parsons/PA Wire) You can check the status of you flight by visiting the Heathrow Airport website.

Ferries also cancelled due to "adverse weather conditions"

P&O Ferries also confirmed journeys between Larne and Cairnryan have been cancelled for at least 24 hours.

A spokesperson said: “Due to adverse weather conditions, all P&O Ferries sailings between Larne and Cairnryan have been cancelled from 2000 tonight (21st December) until at least 2000 tomorrow night (22nd December).

"We ask our customers please not to travel to either of the ports if their sailing has been cancelled, to avoid causing traffic congestion.”

Due to adverse weather, all sailings between #POLarne and #POCairnryan are cancelled from 20:00 tonight (21st Dec) until 20:00 on 22nd December. Please do not travel to the port if your sailing has been cancelled, due to congestion. Apologies for the inconvenience. pic.twitter.com/O6SLJHEnhw

— P&O Ferries Travel Updates (@POferriesupdate) December 21, 2024

CalMac, which operates ferry services on Scotland’s west coast, also reported that sailings on 21 of its routes were cancelled for the day (Saturday), with other services facing disruptions.

Northlink Ferries also reported cancellations on Saturday on its services between Aberdeen and the Orkney and Shetland isles.

Meanwhile, ScotRail announced speed restrictions would be in place for part of the route between Glasgow and Oban/Mallaig, and the Inverness service to Kyle/Wick due to the weather.

Weather and congestion on the roads could cause "perfect storm"

Those travelling by car may not fare much better with the AA predicting weather and congestion on the roads will cause the "perfect storm" this weekend.

The AA predicted 23.7 million drivers would hit the road on Friday (December 20), making it the busiest day on the roads since the group’s records began in 2010.

While a further 22.7 million were expected on Saturday, and 21.3 on Sunday.

More than 22.7 million drivers were expected to hit UK roads on Saturday (December 21). (Image: Jacob King/PA Wire) A spokesperson for the group said: “With more than 20 million car journeys expected on both Saturday and Sunday if the congestion wasn’t enough of a headache, the inclement weather could create the perfect storm.

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

Congestion hotspots

The AA warned the following areas are expected to be congestion hotspots this weekend:

• M1 to Gatwick via the M25 and the M23 (both directions)
• Liverpool to Chester on the M53
• Oxford to the south coast via the A34 and the M3
• M25 to the south coast along the M3
• Taunton to Almondsbury Interchange in Bristol heading down the M5

Met Office forecasts weekend snow

Parts of the UK could also get snow this weekend.

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Showers could turn to several centimetres of snow on the hills in the north west of Scotland from Saturday evening into Sunday, the Met Office said.

Some sleet, snow and hail may fall at lower levels and produce icy conditions by Sunday morning.

Strong winds are also expected to spread across the country on Sunday.