Storm Nelson brings bank holiday chaos as planes can’t land and trains cancelled
Drivers have been alerted to significant disruptions on the roads with a multitude of individuals expected to travel during the upcoming long weekend.
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People in the UK who were looking forward to spending the Easter bank holiday weekend elsewhere have been disappointed due to the disruptions caused by Storm Nelson. The stormy weather has made it impossible for airplanes to land and led to the cancellation of train services.
The storm with a Spanish name is predicted to cause gusts of wind reaching 70mph in particular coastal regions of the United Kingdom whilst the country prepares for a prolonged weekend of rain.
On Thursday, Great Western Railway had to shut down various railway routes because of the flooding. The blockage caused all connections between Swindon and Westbury to be suspended. Moreover, even the mainline between Paddington and Bristol Temple Meads experienced closure because of the disturbance.
Individuals who are planning to travel to their desired locations this weekend are also experiencing inconvenience as certain aircrafts are encountering difficulty to touchdown due to the powerful gusts of wind.
Over the course of the weekend, a total of two million people are projected to travel by air for their vacation, with one airport anticipating that its number of passengers will break all previous records.
Exciting video footage displayed an easyJet plane experiencing turbulence while attempting to land at Gatwick Airport at approximately 12:30pm. Eventually, the pilot decided to abort the first landing attempt. The plane did touch down successfully ten minutes later, though.
The RAC has issued a warning to drivers that their journeys this weekend could take double the usual time, with an estimated 14 million people planning to hit the road.
UK Airport Anticipates Busiest Weekend With Easter Egg Caution Issued
The UK is expecting rainy and gusty weather, prompting many travelers to choose popular holiday spots such as Turkey, Dubai, and the Canary Islands. Additionally, Dublin is also a sought-after destination for a vacation.
Abta, a group that oversees travel, mentioned that airports are seeing "positive figures." An estimated 175,000 people are expected to depart from Stansted, 105,000 from Luton, 160,000 from Manchester, 79,000 from Birmingham, and 89,000 from Edinburgh from Friday through Monday.
Man Utd Fans Could Be Stranded Due To Kick-off Time Change
The supporters of Manchester United are expressing their frustration towards the choice of scheduling their Premier League game against Brentford to take place in the evening this weekend.
The game is scheduled to start at the Gtech Community Stadium on Saturday 30 March at 8pm GMT.
The game will begin only two minutes before the last train leaves London St Pancras towards Manchester Piccadilly. There won't be any trains running from London Euston this weekend due to construction work being done between London and Milton Keynes.
Maryam Zakir-Hussain wrote a blog on March 28, 2024 at 6:45 PM.
Heathrow Airport Hit By UK Border Force Strike
Over six hundred officers from the Border Force assigned at Heathrow airport are set to go on strike for a total of four days starting on the 11th of April. This may result in possible turmoil as vacationing families return from their Easter break.
The PCS union's strike has been scheduled to coincide with the days when the highest number of travelers arrive at the largest airport in the United Kingdom.
Last week, a vote was held among PCS members who perform immigration control and passport checks at Heathrow airport, resulting in a nine-to-one majority in favor of going on strike. The reason for the strike is due to a new roster and alterations to their shift patterns which were imposed on them.
According to the union, there is a possibility that around 250 employees will suffer job losses due to the proposed alterations.
Fran Heathcote, the general secretary of PCS, has stated that if the ministers do not pull back their unfair and unnecessary proposals within the next two weeks, the employees at Heathrow will initiate a strike.
The consultation process with the staff has been deceptive, as our associates were hardly given the opportunity to provide input on the new arrangements.
It is unacceptable to cancel flexible working schedules for employees, particularly when the government acknowledges that their labor is vital for national security.
Several individuals are devastated that the Border Force has transformed into an organization lacking expertise and compassion towards others.
To truly prioritize border security, the government must take into account the job security of Border Force officers. It's important that they properly care for their employees and abandon the proposed changes. Instead, the government should collaborate with us to ensure job protection and favorable working conditions.
The Home Office has been requested for a reply by The Independent.
Easter Travelers Crowd Airport, Planes Face Landing Trouble
Today, many enthusiastic vacationers are crowding the airports, but planes are encountering challenges when landing due to severe winds and heavy rainfall.
Many travelers including drivers, passengers taking the rail and jet-setters are experiencing problems with their trips as they try to begin their Easter holiday.
Over the weekend, approximately two million individuals are scheduled to board flights for their vacations, with one airport preparing for an unsurpassed number of travellers.
The UK is expected to have wet and windy weather soon, so people are choosing to travel to Turkey, Dubai, and the Canary Islands. Additionally, traveling to Dublin is also popular.
Abta, which is a group that oversees the tourism industry, stated that airports have observed impressive figures for the number of people departing for their trips. Specifically, 175,000 individuals are expected to leave from Stansted, while 105,000 will set off from Luton. Manchester airport also anticipates 160,000 travelers, Birmingham is set to witness 79,000 departures, and Edinburgh is projected to have 89,000 people leaving over the course of the four-day period from Friday to Monday.
Chris Woodroofe, the managing director of Manchester Airport, expressed his enthusiasm about the significant increase in the number of travellers flying out of the airport during this year's Easter holiday. It has been projected that around 320,000 passengers will pass through the airport during the bank holiday weekend, which is a remarkable 7% surge compared to the figures recorded back in April 2023.
Recent footage displayed an easyJet flight from Faro, which decided to halt its landing at Gatwick Airport due to severe weather conditions such as heavy rainfall and intense winds at approximately 12:30 pm.
The Airbus A320 swayed from left to right before lifting up once more to steer clear of a calamity. It touched down safely after a span of ten minutes.
The section in the blog can be paraphrased using other terms like this: The blog segment cites the AFP news agency via Getty Images as its source.
Athena Stavrou wrote a blog post at 5:08 pm on March 28th, 2024.
Why Great Western Railway Falls Short
People planning to take the train from London Paddington to areas in the West of England and South Wales are going to experience numerous difficulties this Easter.
Due to flooding, the primary railway route connecting Paddington and Bristol Temple Meads is currently obstructed.
GWR has informed its passengers that only one rail line is operational at present between Swindon and Chippenham due to flooding in Christian Malford. This will require trains to use the single track alternately. Network Rail has advised on this issue.
There will be a hold-up on the road from London Paddington to Bristol Temple Meads that goes through Swindon, Chippenham, and Bath Spa.
On Sunday morning, there will be some emergency engineering works taking place on the main line that goes west of the capital. This will cause some disruptions due to the need to repair sets of points.
Attention all passengers: There will be emergency maintenance work taking place between London Paddington and Reading this coming Sunday. We highly recommend that customers postpone their travel plans until 12pm.
Work needs to be done on the points system during the weekend to avoid inconveniencing other travelers. The repairs are scheduled for Saturday evening and Sunday morning in order to prevent any further disruptions.
The trains traveling between Reading and Bristol, South Wales, and Devon and Cornwall will carry on running. But there might be alterations and cancellations happening unexpectedly. It's best if customers verify their travel plans ahead of time.
We apologize for any trouble caused. South Western Railway will accept our tickets between Waterloo and Reading, while Chiltern Railways will accept them between Marylebone and Oxford.
Simon Calder wrote a blog post on March 28th, 2024 at 5:03 PM.
Bad Weather Closes Tourist Spots
Today, the extreme weather conditions resulted in the closure of a few tourist spots in certain regions of the UK, which disappointed those who were seeking a pleasurable day out.
Kew Gardens located in London didn't remain open longer than 3 pm as it was impacted by rainy weather and window situations. Other nature reserves such as Bushy Park and Kensington Gardens were also affected.
The Dartmoor Zoo, located in Devon, experienced a snowfall overnight. As a result, it closed its doors due to the windy conditions. Other sites managed by the National Trust, such as Needles Old Battery and Mottisfont Gardens in Hampshire, were also affected and closed temporarily.
This morning, there was an accumulation of around three inches of snow in Sennybridge located in Powys, Wales. Moreover, an amount of two inches of snow fell in the past night just to the north of Dartmoor.
On March 28th, 2024, Athena Stavrou wrote a blog post at 5:01 pm.
Storm Nelson Cancels Ferries With Extreme Winds
Today, the strong winds have caused cancellations and delays for ferries, resulting in Britons having their Easter travel arrangements disrupted.
On Thursday, DFDS had to call off certain ferry services from Dover to Calais and Dieppe to Newhaven due to hazardous sea conditions.
The southern part of England currently has a warning for wind with a yellow color. This warning anticipates that there may be disruptions in transportation that includes roads, rails, air travel, as well as ferries.
The Port of Dover cautioned travelers about the tough weather conditions in the English Channel, which included a powerful southeastern wind measuring force six.
Today, the Met Office has alerted people about the possibility of powerful winds with speeds of up to 70mph. The coastal areas are expected to be affected by this disturbance caused by Storm Nelson, which has been named after a Spanish name.
Flight Halted Due To Severe Winds On Approach
Today at Gatwick Airport, a plane was unable to complete its landing due to unforeseen circumstances. Unfortunately, this brings disappointment to British citizens throughout the country who were looking forward to an Easter holiday.
The video captured a moment when an easyJet plane flying from Daro made an effort to touch down during inclement weather conditions with heavy rainfall and forceful gusts at approximately 12:30 in the afternoon.
The Airbus A320 started to sway from left to right and then ascended high to evade an impending disaster. After a span of ten minutes, it had a successful landing.
Spanish weather experts have christened the upcoming disturbance "Storm Nelson" as it heads towards the United Kingdom. The winds associated with this weather system could attain velocities of up to 50 miles per hour throughout much of the land, with concerns that gusts of between 60 and 70 miles per hour could be encountered in coastal localities that lack good shelter from the elements.
"Euston Station Packed As Travelers Try To Avoid Line Closure"
The station of London Euston, which stands as one of the most bustling stations in the UK, is experiencing an immense level of activity as voyagers endeavor to arrive at their intended endpoint prior to the shutting down of the line.
The railway station will not be operational for any trains traveling within the region or over long distances over the Easter holiday.
During the period from Good Friday to Easter Monday, Network Rail will shut down the West Coast main line that runs from London Euston to Milton Keynes Central.
A fresh pathway is set to be constructed beside the Kensal Green tunnel, and a bustling intersection located just south of Milton Keynes is due to undergo replacement works.
The most recommended journey to break away from the West Midlands is to take the Chiltern route from London Marylebone to Birmingham. Conversely, if you are planning to travel to Sheffield and the rest of northwest England, be prepared for the high traffic at London St Pancras.
The Caledonian Sleeper trains are going to operate in and out of London King’s Cross - where the East Coast main line appears to be functioning smoothly.
Drivers Cautioned For Easter Weekend After Snowfall In Devon And Wales
Motorists in certain areas of the nation have been advised to exercise "great caution" due to the snowfall that occurred during the night prior to the holiday weekend of Easter.
The weather in Devon and Wales saw the accumulation of snow in some regions last night. The forecast predicts that the upcoming weather will be both cold and wet over the following few days.
The Devon County Council has cautioned drivers and informed them that the roads may be hazardous, despite the efforts of the road crews who have been working tirelessly throughout the night to ensure they remain drivable. They advised drivers to exercise caution while driving and stay away from high altitude roads if possible. Instead, it is better to stick to the main roads for safety reasons.
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On March 28, 2024, at 3:30 PM, Athena Stavrou wrote a blog post.
