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Strong gusts have led to some travel interruptions in regions of the UK as millions prepare to travel prior to Christmas.
Yellow weather alerts for wind are currently active for Scotland, along with much of Northern Ireland and northern England.
A peak gust of 82mph was noted in South Uist on the Western Isles, with wind speeds of 50-60mph anticipated further south.
The adverse weather has resulted in the cancellation of various ferry services, road closures, flight cancellations at Heathrow Airport, and disruptions on the railways.
The travel interruptions arrive as vehicle experts are forecasting this will be the most hectic travel weekend of the year, with the RAC cautioning that it could be a “quite tiring experience” and urging motorists to “exercise patience”.
A yellow warning took effect at 07:00 GMT on Saturday and will remain until 21:00 GMT on Sunday for Scotland, North West and North East England, as well as parts of North Wales and Northern Ireland.
Westerly winds are predicted to strengthen throughout Saturday, with the region covered by the warning expanding on Sunday to include South West England, Derbyshire, Hampshire, parts of the West Midlands and Yorkshire, along with all of Wales and Northern Ireland.
“Dangerous coastal conditions may also be anticipated, with large waves posing an extra risk,” the Met Office further stated.
Transport Scotland noted that road, rail, air, and ferry operations are “all likely to be influenced by the conditions,” with cancellations and restrictions on bridges being feasible.
By midday, CalMac, which operates ferries off Scotland’s west coast, announced that 21 of its routes were canceled for the day, while additional services were encountering disruptions.
Northlink Ferries, which provides services between Aberdeen and the Orkney and Shetland isles, also reported interruptions.
It stated that “poor weather conditions” resulted in the cancellation of a sailing between Kirkwall on Orkney and Lerwick in the Shetland Isles, along with crossings between Aberdeen and Lerwick that were scheduled for Saturday evening.
ScotRail indicated that speed restrictions are currently in place across some routes, leading to delays of up to 30 minutes or adjustments to the timetable.
P&O Ferries announced on X that several voyages between Larne in Northern Ireland and Cairnryan on Scotland’s west coast on Sunday had been canceled.
Stena Line also mentioned expected disruptions with sailings between Belfast and Cairnryan canceled late Saturday and into Sunday.
In the meantime, Heathrow Airport reported that “a few flights have been canceled on Saturday” due to “strong winds and airspace limitations”.
On the highways, National Highways stated that the M48 Severn Bridge in Gloucestershire is shut in both directions between J1 (Aust) and J2 (Chepstow) due to high winds.
Road users were advised to utilize the M4 Prince of Wales Bridge as an alternative option.
The A66 in North Yorkshire and Cumbria has also been partially closed due to strong winds. The westbound carriageway is shut between the A67 (Bowes) and the A685 (Brough), while the eastbound carriageway is closed between the A685 (Brough) and the A1M (Scotch Corner), reported National Highways.
Earlier on Saturday, RAC representative Rod Dennis alerted motorists regarding driving conditions: “With the weekend promising a blend of strong winds along with heavy, and in some areas wintry, showers, it’s going to render many of the estimated seven million getaway trips by car a pretty tiring experience.”
In a conversation with BBC Radio 4’s Today program, Mr Dennis indicated he anticipated traffic would be heaviest on Saturday and Christmas Eve.
On Saturday, it is expected that roads will be busiest between 11:00 GMT and 16:00 to 18:00, and he encouraged drivers to “be patient”.
“These are important journeys for us this time of year, do not expect to arrive precisely when your sat-nav indicates. Give yourself additional time to make it smoother and arrive safely.”
Nearly 14 million drivers are anticipated to hit the roads over the weekend – a new high, according to the RAC.
It predicts that traffic congestion hotspots might include:
- Both directions of the M1 to Gatwick via the M25 and the M23
- Liverpool to Chester on the M53
- Oxford to the southern coast via the A34 and the M3
- The M25 to the southern coast along the M3
- The route from Taunton to Almondsbury Interchange in Bristol heading down the M5.
The AA cautioned about a “perfect storm” of Christmas getaways and poor weather with a predicted 22.7 million drivers hitting the road on Saturday and 21.3 million on Sunday.
A spokesperson for the automotive group stated: “We recommend those heading out to allocate extra time for travel and maintain greater distance between themselves and other motorists.”
The winds are expected to subside by Monday, but it is “definitely not” looking like a snowy Christmas, according to Met Office meteorologist Alex Deakin.
Instead, the UK will experience “a grey Christmas” which “will be very, very mild,” he remarked, with clouds and rain forecasted to move in.
Beyond the highways, the first of the rail closures taking place during the holiday period commenced on Saturday, with a portion of the Midland Main line being shut between London St Pancras and Bedford until 29 December as projects costing £29m are finalized. This will impact travel to Luton Airport.
Engineering procedures will also influence other stations during Christmas, including Paddington and Liverpool Street in London, as well as in the Cambridge and Crewe areas.
Inquired about the numerous train cancellations over Christmas for essential work to occur, a time when people might be more inclined to undertake leisure trips and utilize trains if operational, Robert Nisbet, the director of nations and regions at the Rail Delivery Group, which represents National Rail and train operators, explained that “significant consideration” is given to closures, and the holiday season is chosen because “on the whole fewer individuals travel” during this time.
“The dependability of services is not at the standard we aspire to across the network; we as an industry acknowledge that… but in many instances, it is due to the infrastructure,” he communicated to BBC Radio 4’s Today.
Due to this, “necessary engineering works and enhancements” are essential, he disclosed, adding that these are scheduled “at times we believe fewer individuals are traveling, which is around this period.”
He stated that the engineering work would enhance services and improve reliability
Meanwhile, the Port of Dover anticipates 25,000 vehicles to pass through over the weekend.
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