Storm Isha: Are flights, trains and ferries still affected by extreme weather?

22.01.2024 - 23:33 / euronews.com / Rebecca Ann Hughes

Extreme weather events have been causing travel chaos across Europe this winter.

Icy conditions mean flights are cancelled or delayed over fears of slipping on runways.

Strong winds force rail operators to bring in speed limits or cancel services and can also cause disruption by downing power lines.

Heavy rain and flood alerts can also affect transport systems.

Here is all the latest weather-related travel disruption in Europe and everything you need to know about travellers’ rights to compensation.

Hundreds of trains were cancelled on Monday after the latest in a wave of winter storms lashed Britain and Ireland.

Network Rail, which operates most of the network in the UK, imposed a 50mph (80kph) speed limit across almost all routes.

In Scotland, train services were halted on Sunday night and throughout most of Monday morning.

Air passengers have also been affected. Dozens of flights have been grounded following the enforcement of air traffic control restrictions.

Heathrow, London City and Gatwick airports were some of the worst hit by the stormy conditions.

British Airways scrapped a further 28 departures and arrivals on Sunday on top of 36 previously announced on that day.

Dublin Airport said the extreme weather was posing “a significant challenge” to flight operations.

On Sunday, the travel hub cancelled 114 flights and diverted 36 to other airports. One arrival from Lanzarote was forced to re-route to Bordeaux.

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“Due to adverse weather conditions across the UK, temporary air traffic restrictions are in place. Restrictions of this sort are only ever applied to maintain safety,” National Air Traffic Services said in a statement.

“Our teams are working closely with airports and airlines to minimise disruption. Passengers should check the status of their flight with their airline.”

Several ferry crossings were also cancelled.

Heavy rain and wind gusts of almost 100 miles (160 kilometres) an hour resulted in the death of one motorist and left tens of thousands of people without electricity.

The UK's Met Office weather service issued an unusual blanket wind warning for the whole country before Storm Isha, which reached its peak on Sunday night.

The storm uprooted beech trees in Northern Ireland made famous by the Game of Thrones series and littered roadsides and rail tracks across the country with branches.

Hot on the heels of Storm Isha is more bad weather. Storm Jocelyn is set to unleash more heavy rain and strong winds in the coming days.

Ireland and the UK have been hammered since autumn by a series of gusty and wet storms that have knocked out power and caused flooding along river valleys.

Isha is the ninth named storm since September and Jocelyn, named by the Irish