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Evening Standard
Evening Standard
World
Sami Quadri

London City Airport cancels all flights until 4.30pm as Storm Eunice causes travel chaos across UK

All flights in and out of London City Airport have been cancelled until 4.30pm on Friday as Storm Eunice causes travel chaos across the UK.

The airport is among a string of transport hubs to announce cancellations amid high winds brought by the storm.

London City Airport’s website showed no flights arriving or departing until 4.30pm.

The airport told passengers: “Due to Storm Eunice there is disruption to services in and out of London City.

“Passengers, please contact your airline for the latest flight information and updates. If you are travelling to the airport, please allow extra time, as road and rail networks may be affected.”

Red weather warnings – meaning there is a danger to life from flying debris – have been issued across much of southern and eastern England and south Wales.

At least 65 flights at Heathrow Airport have been cancelled and more than 114 delayed on Friday following heavy winds, according to aviation tracker FlightStats.

Meanwhile, Gatwick Airport has suffered 15 cancellations and 67 delayed flights.

Passengers on easyJet flight EJU8014 from Bordeaux to London Gatwick endured two aborted landings before their plane was put in a holding pattern over the south coast and then forced to return to the French city.

It touched down back at its starting point more than three hours after it departed.

The airline told passengers: “We’re very sorry that your flight has now been diverted back to Bordeaux.

“This is due to poor weather conditions in London Gatwick, which are below safe operating limits.”

British Airways said the rate of aircraft permitted to land at Heathrow Airport “is being reduced due to gale force winds”.

The airport wrote on Twitter: “High winds and poor weather may cause last-minute delays, but we will do everything in our power to minimise any disruption that results.”

Train operators have urged passengers to avoid travelling as speed limits of 50mph were imposed in many areas.

Not a single train will be operating in Wales.

Among the firms advising customers not to travel on Friday are Avanti West Coast, CrossCountry, Great Northern, London North Eastern Railway, Southern and Thameslink.

Several bridges were closed, including the M48 Severn Bridge which links southern England and Wales, and the Britannia Bridge, which connects the island of Anglesey with mainland Wales.

The RAC said the number of call-outs to broken-down vehicles was lower than normal, indicating that many people were “taking the weather warnings seriously and not setting out”.

It added: “The fact many roads are so clear is a sign that today is not a safe day to be driving.”

Ferry operator P&O Ferries suspended its Dover-Calais sailings “until further notice”.

A spokesman said: “We expect this to be the case for most of the day and we will provide further information when possible.

“We strongly advise our customers not to travel to the Port of Dover today.”

Several ferry services due to sail across the Irish Sea were cancelled.

In Dorset, the Sandbanks ferry between Poole and Studland has been suspended.

Transport for London urged people to avoid non-essential journeys in the capital.

A spokeswoman said: “We are doing all we can to ensure we are prepared for any impact, with extra staff ready to respond quickly to any incidents, but some services will be affected by the extreme weather.

“We are also urging Londoners to please take care if they travel around the city.”

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