Hurricane Gonzalo: Flights Cancelled and Travel Chaos Expected as Strong Winds to Hit UK

Thousands of commuters and air passengers face disruption as the remnants of Hurricane Gonzalo will bring gale force wind and heavy rain to the UK.

Heathrow said it is cancelling 10% of all its flights as winds of up to 80mph look set to batter parts of Britain when the strong storm makes landfall after crossing the Atlantic.

The Met Office has issued a "yellow" warning for severe weather across the majority of the UK and has warned drivers to take precaution as the heavy rainfall and strong winds could cause surface water and fallen leaves on the ground will make conditions more difficult to drive in.

More than half the inhabitants of the Bermuda islands have been left without power after Hurricane Gonzalo tore through the tiny British territory islands and flattened its power lines.

Initially graded a Category 4 storm, Gonzalo was downgraded to a Category 2 just before it hit Bermuda on 17 October. It has weakened further and will no longer be classified as a hurricane as it drifts towards the UK.

Airports are now advising passengers to check online to see if their flights have been cancelled before travelling.

A spokesperson for Heathrow Airport said: "There will be some cancellations; around 10% of flights are affected at Heathrow.

"Much of the UK and Northern Europe will experience high winds and heavy rain on Tuesday [21 October] as a result of the tail-end of Hurricane Gonzalo.

"British Airways has agreed with a request from Heathrow Airport and National Air Traffic Services (NATS) to reduce its schedule at Heathrow as there will be a lower number of aircraft allowed to land each hour for safety reasons."

Virgin Trains has also warned that disruption is expected on its lines because of the former Hurricane Gonzalo and advised passengers to check services before setting off.

Sean Penston, a forecaster with MeteoGroup, said: "The area of rainy, windy weather will move eastwards, varying in intensity across the UK, with the strongest gusts on the coasts. We can expect gusts up to 65mph in the northwest in the morning and up to 50mph in central and eastern parts of England in the afternoon."

A spokesperson for the Met Office added: "The strongest winds are expected on Tuesday as the low pressure clears eastwards. There remains the potential for localised disruption to travel, especially as the strongest winds will coincide with rush hour in places.

"Fallen leaves impeding drainage increases the risk of surface water affecting roads, while some damage to trees is possible, given that many are still in full leaf."