Gale force winds spark travel chaos as Met Office warning maps show worst affected areas – but highs of 15C make UK hotter than Barcelona, Nice and Rome

Motorists were warned to brace for difficult travel conditions today as Britain was hit by gusts of up to 65mph and the Met Office imposed two yellow wind warnings.

Strong winds could lead to road, rail, air and ferry delays with those in affected areas advised to prepare for longer journeys and pay extra attention to road conditions.

A warning covering large parts of northern England, including Sheffield and Leeds, and a small area of southern Scotland began at 3am today and runs until 2pm. Gusts of 50 to 60mph are possible and potentially higher in more exposed places.

A separate warning for northern and western Wales and parts of North West England started at 3pm yesterday and expired at 9am today. The Met Office expecting gusts of 45 to 55mph fairly widely with 65mph in a few places, particularly along the coast.

Separately today, a wind warning was issued for 60mph gusts and further travel disruption in northern and western Scotland for Saturday from 7am until 9pm. 

Meanwhile the Environment Agency has 23 flood alerts in place for England, while the Scottish Environment Protection Agency imposed seven alerts and five warnings. 

The top recorded wind gust across the UK this morning was 65mph at St Catherine’s Point on the Isle of Wight, followed by 55mph at Pembrey Sands in Carmarthenshire and 50mph in Plymouth, Devon. Rhyl in North Wales had a gust of 49mph.  

And the strong winds led to the closure of the M48 Severn Bridge in both directions this morning with traffic being diverted via the M4 Prince of Wales Bridge.

The Humber Bridge, which links Yorkshire and Lincolnshire on the A15, was also closed to high-sided vehicles and caravans, with all other users subject to a 30mph speed restriction. 

In South East Wales, Gwent Police briefly closed the B4269 between Llanellen and Llanfoist early this morning, with the road reopening at about 6.15am.

TODAY: One wind warning covers large parts of northern England and a small area of southern Scotland. The other is for northern and western Wales and parts of North West England

SATURDAY: A wind warning has been issued for northern and western Scotland for Saturday

ScotRail said severe weather meant trains had to run at a reduced speed between Glasgow Queen Street and Mallaig due to a speed restriction on the route.

Six top tips for travel this Christmas

By NICKY KELVIN 

Christmas is a magical time for travel, filled with festive cheer and the excitement of visiting loved ones or exploring new destinations. 

However, it’s also one of the busiest travel periods of the year, which can lead to increased costs, potential delays, and a higher chance of travel disruptions. 

Here’s some advice to help navigate the challenges of busy travel periods and make your Christmas travel experience smoother:

• Factor in Disruptions: Winter weather can impact travel, causing flight delays and train cancellations. Be prepared for the possibility of disruptions and have backup plans in place. Check the weather forecast regularly and sign up for travel alerts from your airline or train operator.
• Stay Informed: Stay up-to-date on potential train strikes or other industrial action that could affect your travel plans. Check the websites of rail operators and news outlets for the latest information.
• Explore Alternatives: If strikes are planned, research alternative transportation options such as buses, car rentals, or even ride-sharing services. Be aware that these alternatives may also experience increased demand during peak travel times.
• Allow Extra Time: Whether you’re travelling by air or rail, allow extra time for check-in, security, and boarding. Busy travel periods often mean longer queues and potential delays.
• Check Your Rights: Familiarise yourself with your passenger rights in case of delays or cancellations. Airlines and train operators have specific policies regarding compensation and rebooking options.
• Pack Smart: Pack light to avoid checked baggage fees and streamline your journey through busy airports or train stations. Plus, airport and train station prices for food and beverages can be inflated. Consider packing your own snacks and drinks to save money. Also make sure to bring some form of entertainment – such as a book – to keep you occupied during potential delays.

NICKY KELVIN is editor at The Points Guy. For more of his tips, click here

And Transport for Wales warned that a tree blocking the line between Llandrindod and Knighton was delaying trains running between Shrewsbury and Lllanelli.

The Isle of Man Steam Packet Company said its overnight ferry service from Heysham in Lancashire to Douglas was cancelled, but remaining services today were expected to operate as normal.

CalMac Ferries, which serves the west coast of Scotland, said services were subject to disruption today.

Met Office meteorologist Clare Nasir said today had a wet and windy start, with heavy showers and ‘lively conditions’ also expected during the evening rush hour.

She said: ‘This rain across the central swathe of the country tends to fizzle out as we head through to around mid-morning, late morning, the cloud then breaks up.

‘We could even see some showers move in on this cold north-west wind as more cloud thickens from the South West, and this could bring some outbreaks of rain which could turn heavy as we head through into evening rush hour, certainly for the likes of Plymouth, Cardiff, Bristol, Birmingham, even Liverpool and Manchester.’

The winds will pick up in southern England this evening as well, she added.

The Met Office also warned that windy weather would continue over the next few days, adding: ‘The active jet stream will meander across the UK steering deeps areas of low pressure in our direction.’

But parts of Britain will also experience very mild weather for the time of year today, with highs of up to 15C (59F) expected in South East England. The temperature in Cardiff was 14C (57F) at 7am this morning.

This is above Rome, Barcelona and Nice which will all get up 13C (55F) today, and Madrid at 9C (48F).

Temperatures in the UK will then drop again tomorrow with maximums of 9C (48F) on the way – and again on Friday, as conditions remain ‘changeable and often windy’ into the weekend.

Looking further ahead, the Met Office forecast for the rest of the year from this Sunday states: ‘Likely starting off very unsettled, with blustery showers, a mix of rain, sleet, some hill snow and soft hail being driven in by a strong to gale force north-westerly wind.

‘Southeastern areas most sheltered from these but widely feeling very cold. 

‘Gradually turning more settled through the following week, with cloud, stronger winds and outbreaks of rain increasingly becoming confined to northwest Scotland, as an area of high pressure becomes established across at least the south of the UK.

‘It may even become settled here too, but confidence in the north/south boundary between settled and unsettled gets steadily lower through the period. becoming widely mild, perhaps exceptionally so in some places, although clearer spells overnight may lead to localised frost and fog.’

It comes as drivers are being urged not to travel on major routes for six hours on both Friday and Saturday to avoid the worst Christmas holiday traffic.

The RAC and transport analytics company Inrix said roads are likely to be busiest between 1pm and 7pm on those days.

Hotspots where queues are expected include the M3 between its junction with the M25 and the south coast, the M25 anticlockwise between its junctions with the M1 and the M23, and the M53 from Chester to Liverpool.

The RAC said it commissioned a survey of 2,100 UK adults which suggested 3.0 million leisure trips by car are planned for Friday, rising to 3.7 million for Saturday.

Getaway traffic is expected to peak on Christmas Eve, with 3.8 million journeys.

An estimated total of 29.3 million festive journeys will be made between Wednesday and Christmas Eve, which is the most since the RAC began recording the data in 2013.

National Highways said more than 95 per cent of roadworks on its network of England’s motorways and major A roads will be lifted from 6am on Friday and will not be reinstated until January 2.

This includes 45 miles of roadworks on the M1, which were put in place while additional emergency smart motorway stopping areas were installed.

Rail engineering work will lead to more pressure on the roads with several lines closed. 

London Liverpool Street station will be closed from Christmas Day until January 2, and no trains will call at London Paddington between Friday December 27 and Sunday December 29.

There will be no direct services between Crewe and Liverpool – and a reduced service between Crewe and Manchester – from Saturday December 28 until Friday January 3.

Services in the Cambridge area will be disrupted between Friday December 27 and Sunday January 5, and no trains will run between Harpenden and London from Saturday December 21 to Sunday December 29.

There are also fears that staffing shortages at train operators will cause disruption.

The latest warnings come as many communities recover from the devastating effects of Storm Darragh earlier this month. 

The fourth named storm of the season saw millions told to stay indoors, tens of thousands left without power and trains axed.