Thunderstorms have caused flight delays of up to 11 hours at Heathrow and Gatwick airports, affecting nearly 800 flights as the UK's heatwave gives way to stormy weather. According to flight tracking service FlightAware, 377 flights arriving at or departing from Heathrow have been delayed, while another 399 have been impacted at Gatwick. Dozens of flights have been cancelled, and air traffic control has warned that disruptions are expected to continue for the rest of the day.
Major delays and cancellations
Arrival boards at Heathrow show a British Airways flight from Santiago, Chile, scheduled to land at 10am, now expected to arrive at 9pm — an 11-hour delay. The delays come as storms to the south of the UK are set to worsen, with flights needing to avoid a 'broad area of hot, unstable air', according to Eurocontrol, the European air traffic management agency.
A home in Crawley was damaged by a lightning strike, while the roof of a property in Streatham, south London, was destroyed in a blaze sparked by an overnight lightning bolt. The amber weather warning for extreme heat has been extended, with temperatures of 33°C expected to persist over London, the South East, and East Anglia until 9pm tomorrow.
Ongoing disruption
The UK's air traffic control service stated that 'weather disruption was expected to continue through the rest of the day.' Flights must avoid the turbulent conditions, which stretch from northern Spain to southern Sweden and the south of the UK. The storms are expected to continue developing overnight, but there is a 'large degree of uncertainty' over where this will impact flight schedules.
Passengers are advised to check with their airlines for the latest information before traveling to the airports.
