75mph gusts forecast as Christmas getaway disruption continues

Winds of up to 75mph have been forecast for parts of Wales as the Christmas getaway period continues to see disruption caused by bad weather.

Met Office said yellow warnings for wind, which came into force at 7am on Saturday, are expected to remain in place until 9pm on Sunday.

Warnings remain in Wales Scotland and Northern Ireland. In England the warnings cover the North East, North West, South West and West Midlands as well as Yorkshire, Derbyshire and Hampshire.

Heathrow Airport has confirmed around 100 flights have been cancelled on Sunday and passengers are advised to check with their airline before travelling.

A Heathrow spokesperson said: “Due to strong winds and airspace restrictions, a small number of flights have been cancelled today. This will ensure the vast majority of passengers can still travel as planned”.

Challenging conditions

Met Office meteorologist Dan Stroud told the PA news agency that Sunday could see gusts of up to 75mph.

He said: “There will continue to be more challenging travel conditions, with coastal areas seeing around 50 to 60mph winds.

“Extremely exposed coastal areas could see up to 70 or 75mph and parts of the west are expected to see 40 or 50mph.

“In the evening we are expecting these to ease and gradually drop off.”

The AA has predicted 21.3 million drivers will hit the road across the UK on Sunday, while 22.7 million had been expected on Saturday, slightly fewer than the 23.7 million on Friday which was expected to be the busiest day on the roads since the group’s records began in 2010.

Perfect storm

A spokesperson said: “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.”

The RAC estimated seven million leisure trips would be made on major roads during the weekend, which excludes everyday traffic.

It predicted congestion hotspots will be both directions of the M1 to Gatwick via the M25 and the M23; Liverpool to Chester on the M53; Oxford to the south coast via the A34 and the M3; the M25 to the south coast along the M3; and at the Taunton to Almondsbury Interchange in Bristol heading down the M5.

Looking ahead to next week, conditions are expected to improve and the UK could see a “grey Christmas”, rather than a white one.

Mr Stroud said: “We’re expecting to see some sunny spells further east and a lot of cloud from the west.

“Temperatures should rise considerably and it will be extremely mild over Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.

“In England and Wales, temperatures will be well above average with some grey in the mix. We’re expecting an average of around 12C or 13C on Christmas Eve and 11C or 12C on Christmas Day. The usual average for this time of year is 7C or 8C so we’ll be around double where we usually are.

“Overnight temperatures in Scotland for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day will be extremely mild.”