Millions of people across the UK are expected to face Christmas travel chaos as warnings for strong winds are set to come into force in parts of the country. Gusts of up to 60mph could hit parts of Scotland, North West and North East England, and parts of Wales and Northern Ireland. Transport Scotland is warning that road, rail, air and ferry services are “all likely to be affected by the conditions” with cancellations and restrictions on bridges possible. The RAC predicts that the weekend will be the busiest of the year for motoring.
Although the yellow warning is in place only from 07:00 GMT on Saturday to 21:00 GMT on Sunday, the area covered by the warning will widen from Sunday onwards to include South West England, Derbyshire, Hampshire, parts of the West Midlands and Yorkshire, and all of Wales and Northern Ireland. Westerly winds are forecast to pick up over Saturday with a small chance of gusts reaching 80mph in the far north of Scotland and Orkney and Shetland on Saturday afternoon and evening. This could cause dangerous coastal conditions, with large waves an additional hazard.
Despite hopes for a white Christmas with “crisp blue skies and snow on the ground,” the Met Office has said that a cloudy and rainy day is likely. Christmas Day itself “will be a fairly cloudy, nondescript day,” said Met Office deputy chief meteorologist Rebekah Hicks. The winds are expected to ease by Monday, however, the travel disruption is expected to last throughout the weekend. When non-leisure traffic is taken into account, nearly 14 million drivers are expected to take to the road during the weekend – a new record, according to the RAC.
With a mix of strong winds and heavy, and in some places wintry, showers predicted, the estimated seven million getaway trips by car will be an exhausting experience. Rod Dennis, RAC spokesman, said, “It’s going to make many of the estimated seven million getaway trips by car a pretty exhausting experience.” The RAC is advising drivers to pack blankets, warm clothes, and a fully charged mobile phone in case of emergency
Read the full article from The BBC here: Read More
