Dozens of flights between the UK and Florida have been cancelled as the state braces for Hurricane Milton.
Milton, which is currently a category five hurricane, is expected to make landfall on the west coast of Florida near Tampa later tonight (Wednesday), and the National Hurricane Center has described it as ‘one of the most destructive hurricanes on record for west-central Florida’.
Milton currently has sustained wind speeds of 160mph, and there are storm surge warnings in place across Florida’s west coast from Flamingo to Suwannee River and from Sebastian Inlet to Altamaha Sound in Georgia.
Virgin Atlantic has cancelled multiple flights to and from Orlando International Airport and Tampa International, with Tampa now closed and Orlando closing at 8am local time today.
The airline confirmed flights from Heathrow to Tampa and Orlando are cancelled today and tomorrow, as is the Manchester to Orlando flight on both days.
Tampa Airport is due to reopen local time at 8am on 11 October (Friday), and Orlando is due to open at 6pm local time on 10 October (Thursday).
A Virgin Atlantic spokesperson said: “Due to severe weather conditions expected to be caused by Hurricane Milton, a state of emergency has been declared in Florida, and Tampa and Orlando airports are closing. Unfortunately, this has impacted our flying schedule, and services to and from Orlando and Tampa are subject to cancellations and delays.”
Virgin will be operating an additional flight from Orlando to Heathrow on Friday to ensure passengers can get home.
British Airways has cancelled its Gatwick to Tampa departures for today and tomorrow.
As a result of the closure of Melbourne Orlando International Airport, TUI has also cancelled its flight from Gatwick today, and is closely monitoring flights on Thursday from Glasgow and Birmingham. Melbourne Orlando Airport is due to reopen at 9am on Friday.
Flight tracking data provider FlightAware said 700 flights were cancelled on Tuesday and more than 1,500 flights have been cancelled today.
Theme parks are also preparing for Hurricane Milton, with Disney’s Hollywood Studios and Disney’s Animal Kingdom theme park due to close at 1pm local time today, and Magic Kingdom park, EPCOT and Disney Springs at 2pm. It is likely the parks will stay closed on Thursday.
Travel Gossip reported yesterday that Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort & Campground, Copper Creek Cabins at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge, and the Treehouse Villas at Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa are closing.
Universal Studios Florida, Islands of Adventure and Universal CityWalk will be open until 2pm local time today and will be closed on Thursday. Universal Volcano Bay will be closed today and tomorrow and the Halloween Horror Nights at Universal Studios Florida is also cancelled for the next two nights. Universal’s hotels remain open for guests.
Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex will close for the next two days.
Cruise lines including Royal Caribbean have already altered itineraries to avoid the storms and Disney Cruise Line (DCL) has cancelled its three-night 11 October sailing on Disney Wish from Port Canaveral.
The line said: “Refunds will be automatically processed back to the original form of payment used for the cruise booking. An email with more information will be sent to booked guests or their travel agents.”
The UK Foreign Office (FCDO) issued a travel warning for Florida and has advised British travellers to check the US National Hurricane Center and Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) websites and follow instructions from local authorities, including evacuation orders.