UK Airport Chaos: Plane Makes Emergency Landing Amid Christmas Weather Woes

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A plane made an emergency landing in severe winds at a Belfast airport as inclement weather affected travel across the UK in the lead-up to Christmas.

Belfast City Airport was compelled to implement emergency measures on Sunday after the nose wheel of a plane collapsed during landing in difficult weather conditions. No injuries were reported.

There were four crew members and no passengers aboard the Emerald Airlines flight when the hard landing occurred around 4pm on Sunday afternoon, as winds reached up to 82mph in parts of the UK.

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This incident led to the runway being closed for the remainder of the day, following what the airport described as the busiest day of the year thus far on Friday, and multiple flights were redirected to Belfast International Airport on Sunday evening.

This occurred as weather alerts were issued across the UK, excluding southeastern parts of England, leading to the cancellation of ferries, trains, and flights, thwarting travelers trying to reach home for Christmas.

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While alerts for severe winds on Sunday have since lifted, with gusts up to 82mph recorded in Orkney and South Uist, the Met Office has issued a new warning for icy conditions in parts of northeastern Scotland, which will remain in effect until 10am on Monday.

Heathrow Airport reported that approximately 100 flights had been cancelled on Sunday, with passengers advised to verify their travel plans with airlines, as a representative cautioned about strong winds and airspace limitations.

Several Loganair flights from Glasgow Airport to the Hebridean islands were annulled, while Scotland’s primary ferry operator, Caledonian MacBrayne, cancelled numerous voyages to and from the Western Isles on Sunday due to severe weather – and has also adjusted schedules for Monday and Christmas Eve.

P&O Ferries announced that journeys scheduled for 8pm from Larne in Northern Ireland and Cairnryan in southern Scotland have been postponed until 11pm due to worsening weather conditions.

This comes amid warnings of a “perfect storm” resulting from adverse weather and roadway congestion.

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The AA anticipated that 21.3 million drivers would be on the roads on Sunday, while 22.7 million had been forecasted for Saturday, slightly fewer than the 23.7 million expected on Friday, which was anticipated to be the busiest day of travel since the group’s records began in 2010.

A spokesperson stated: “If the traffic congestion wasn’t enough of a challenge, the harsh weather could create the perfect storm. We recommend that those traveling allow additional time for their journey and maintain greater distances from other road users.”

Looking forward to the coming week, conditions are predicted to improve and the UK may experience a “grey Christmas,” rather than a white one.

Met Office forecaster Dan Stroud indicated: “We’re expecting to have some bright spells further east and a significant amount of cloud from the west. Temperatures are expected to rise considerably and will be extremely mild over Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.

“In England and Wales, temperatures will surpass average levels with some dullness included. We anticipate average temperatures of around 12C or 13C on Christmas Eve and 11C or 12C on Christmas Day. The typical average for this season is 7C or 8C, thus we will be approximately double the usual figures.

“The overnight temperatures in Scotland for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day will be exceptionally mild.”

Additional reporting by PA