Severe weather in the UK and Ireland has caused travel disruption across the region. Airlines have canceled flights while rail operators have halted services. The Met Office has issued a blanket wind warning for the country, with gusts predicted to reach 90mph in some areas. It warns of debris on roads, fallen trees, flooding, and – in coastal regions – large waves. The warnings cover the whole of England, Scotland, and Wales and also include Northern Ireland.
Thousands of homes in Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland have been left without power. The power network company NIE is dealing with several outages and is putting “significant pressure” on the 999 system. The extreme weather is also causing road problems, with Londonderry’s Foyle Bridge closed and reports of fallen trees blocking roads. The airports in Belfast and Dublin have also been affected.
A total of 102 flights in and out of Dublin Airport have been canceled as a result of the severe conditions. The airport operator daa advised passengers to check their flight status with their airline and plan extra time when traveling to the airport. A post on social media platform X stated that 1700 GMT had recorded 24 aborted landings and that 27 flights had opted to divert to other airports.
The number of cancellations increased as the day passed, with the weather deteriorating further. Met Eireann – the Irish national meteorological service – raised its alert level to orange, covering most of the country, including Dublin. Some regions were even issued a more red severe warning, which signals a high likelihood of impact on people and property.
In a statement, daa said: “High winds continue to reduce the number of aircraft that can operate safely at the airport. We have 114 cancellations this afternoon, with further disruption and cancellations very likely in the coming hours.”
Almost all of its long-haul routes to and from the United States and most domestic and regional services have been canceled. Flights to and from London are also disrupted due to the bad weather.
Amsterdam’s Schiphol airport has canceled 130 incoming and outgoing flights for Monday as a preventive measure, a spokeswoman told news agency ANP. She urged travelers to check with their airlines for more information before traveling to the Dutch airport.
The airport has over 300,000 followers on Twitter, regularly posts engaging content, and answers passenger questions. It was recently named the World’s Best Use of Social Media by the Moodie Report, which awards airports for their digital marketing activity. The airport won the award for the fourth year in a row. In addition, it is the most followed European airport on Facebook, with over 1.1 million likes.