Storm Pia causes easyJet plane to divert from Gatwick to Luton to refuel leaving passengers furious at delays

• Plane forced to land at Luton to where ‘more than half’ of passengers got off

By Elena Salvoni[1] and Summer Goodkind[2] and Mark Duell[3]

Published: 01:43, 22 December 2023 | Updated: 01:55, 22 December 2023

Passengers were left furious this evening after an easyJet plane was forced to divert from Gatwick[4] to Luton to refuel after 113mph Storm Pia swept in and caused chaos.

Tony Holmes, 57, was on his way back from a short break away with his wife to Budapest when their plane was unable to land at Gatwick due to high crosswinds.

‘People were screaming and throwing up as we tried to land. One man looked like he was having a nervous breakdown.’

The plane was forced to change course and land at Luton to refuel, where Tony said ‘more than half’ of passengers got off.

He said a row erupted after the pilot was ‘a bit rude’ and sarcastic to customers, with nervous fliers arguing to be allowed off the plane.

‘It’s been a long day and everyone’s a bit frustrated, it doesn’t help that it’s in the run-up to Christmas[5],’ he said.

His wife and others stuck at Luton will now have to share taxis to get to their cars and luggage in Gatwick he said.

Passengers were left furious this evening after an easyJet plane was forced to divert from Gatwick to Luton to refuel after 113mph Storm Pia swept in and caused chaos

‘People were screaming and throwing up as we tried to land. One man looked like he was having a nervous breakdown.’

The plane was forced to change course and land at Luton to refuel, where Tony said ‘more than half’ of passengers got off

He added that passengers who chose to get off the planes at Luton were told that they wouldn’t get ‘compensation’.

Elsewhere across the UK, all Eurostar[6] and LeShuttle rail services were suspended this afternoon due to a last-minute strike by Eurotunnel staff while London Euston station was shut amid major travel chaos.

Eurostar said no trains could get through the Channel Tunnel until 6.30pm at the earliest, with trains held en route being forced to return to their starting point – after union workers rejected their EUR1,000 end-of-year bonus and asked for it to be tripled.

All LeShuttle services were also suspended with passengers unable to get between England and France[7] – while those trying to get to other parts of the UK were urged to not to travel after Storm Pia swept in with ferocious gusts and caused mayhem.

Euston was shut to arriving passengers as crowds built up, with all Avanti West Coast and West Midlands Trains services cancelled because of damage to the overhead electric wires in two separate sections – one between Watford Junction and London Euston and the other, a bag caught in cables between Stoke-on-Trent and Crewe.

Elsewhere TransPennine Express issued ‘do not travel’ advice to customers going to and from Edinburgh today, ‘strongly’ urging them to delay their journeys.[8]

King’s Cross station became packed with LNER warning trains were ‘extremely busy’ and they were not allowing Avanti West Coast ticket holders to board their services.

With all cross-Channel rail also suspended, Christmas holiday plans are under threat for thousands – with those trying to reach London or Paris saying they were stuck on trains or at stations with services being turned back to their departure point.

** Stuck in today’s rail chaos? Please email: [email protected] **

Overcrowding at St Pancras station today as Eurostar cancels all trains in and out of London

London Euston station is closed to arriving passengers today amid mass cancellations

Passengers wait for updates at a very busy London King’s Cross station this afternoon

British Transport Police officers watch as passengers wait at London St Pancras station today

Chaotic scenes at London St Pancras station today after the mass cancellations by Eurostar

Passengers face chaotic scenes at London Euston today after overhead power cable issues

Passengers wait for updates today after trains from London Euston station were cancelled

Packed scenes at London St Pancras station today after all Eurostar trains were cancelled

Passengers wait for updates at a very busy London King’s Cross station this afternoon

Chaos at the entrance to the Channel Tunnel in Kent this afternoon as services are suspended

A aircraft taking off from Leeds Bradford Airport during Storm Pia this afternoon

Passengers wait for updates at a very busy London King’s Cross station this afternoon

Chaotic scenes at London King’s Cross station this afternoon as passengers try to travel

Gates are sealed off at Euston today as passengers are blocked from entering the station

Storm Pia, named by the Danish Meteorological Institute, has swept into Britain today

One passenger wrote on X that his ‘daughter with disabilities and learning issues is in tears’, while another said their Christmas plans had been ‘ruined last minute’. A third tweeted: ‘Sitting on the train is not how we envisioned our family vacation.’

Nick, 45, who was trying to return to London from Lille, told AFP today: ‘So travelling back now and now literally five minutes ago, we’ve got an email to say that Eurotunnel staff are going on strike and it looks like we can’t get a train today.

He had little hope of travelling, adding: ‘They’ve told us that because it’s December, it’s going to be really difficult to now get a booking with the limited space.’

Eurostar said: ‘Due to unexpected strike action by Eurotunnel staff, services are currently not able to proceed through the Channel Tunnel until mid-afternoon at earliest.’ LeShuttle tweeted: ‘Due to industrial action in France, all LeShuttle services have been temporarily suspended.

We apologise for the delay to your journey.’

Passengers wait at the Eurostar terminal at London St Pancras station this afternoon

Passengers outside London Euston station today after the gates were closed to those arriving

Overcrowding at St Pancras station today as Eurostar cancels all trains in and out of London

Traffic at a standstill heading towards the Eurotunnel terminal on the M20 in Kent today

Busy scenes as passengers wait at the Eurostar entrance in St Pancras station today

Passengers outside London Euston station today after the gates were closed to those arriving

Busy scenes as passengers wait at the Eurostar entrance in St Pancras station today

A departures board at London St Pancras station today after all Eurostar trains were axed

Passengers wait at the Eurostar terminal at London St Pancras station this afternoon

Passengers at London King’s Cross rail station wait for updates today as the getaway continues

Getlink, the French firm operating the tunnel, said trade unions ‘rejected a EUR1,000 end-of-year bonus’ and want this ‘tripled’. It added: ‘Today’s call for strike action by representatives of Eurotunnel’s French site staff unions has resulted in the complete interruption of service and the closure of our terminals in France and the UK.’

A Met Office[9] wind warning covering all of Scotland, Northern Ireland[10], North Wales, northern England and the Midlands came into force at midnight and will last until 3pm – with the strongest gusts in the far north but 45mph quite widely elsewhere.

A fallen tree was blocking the railway in North Wales between Gwersyllt and Cefn-Y-Beddan; while an object caught on the overhead wires in the Shipley area of West Yorkshire was disrupting services; and LNER said a safety inspection on a train at Church Fenton in North Yorkshire was affecting journeys between Leeds and York.

Fallen trees were reported across Derbyshire and South Yorkshire, while residents of Nottinghamshire said shed roofs had been taken off and brick walls blown over.

Traffic at a standstill heading towards the Eurotunnel terminal on the M20 in Kent today

Passengers wait at the Eurostar terminal at London St Pancras station this afternoon

A bag caught on the overhead power line between Stoke and Crewe is delaying trains today

Chaos at the entrance to the Channel Tunnel in Kent this afternoon as services are suspended

London Euston station is closed to arriving passengers today amid mass cancellations

Passengers await updates at Paris Gare du Nord station today as Eurostar trains are suspended

Passengers wait near the Eurostar platform at the Gare du Nord railway station in Paris today

Motorists queue at the Port of Dover in Kent today after all LeShuttle trains were cancelled

A sign warning LeShuttle passengers that all trains are suspended today due to the strike

Passengers at London King’s Cross rail station wait for updates today as the getaway continues

Passengers at Liverpool Street station in London today as the Christmas getaway begins

Passengers at London Liverpool Street station wheel suitcases along the concourse today

ScotRail cancelled all trains on seven routes today, including Inverness to Aberdeen, Wick, Kyle of Lochalsh, Dingwall and Elgin; and Glasgow[11] to Oban and Mallaig.

Flights were filmed struggling to land at Birmingham[12] and Manchester airports, and Ryanair warned passengers of ‘potential disruptions’ today due to the strong winds.

British Airways[13] axed dozens of domestic and European flights at London Heathrow[14], including links to and from Amsterdam, Aberdeen, Edinburgh and Glasgow.

Liverpool’s Christmas market had to close today due to the strong winds making it unsafe for visitors, while Mansfield Market in Nottinghamshire also had to shut.

The Christmas market in Sheffield was also closed this morning due to the weather, and a roof came off a section of a block of flats on Haslam Crescent in the city.

A rail passenger remonstrates with a guard at a gate at King’s Cross rail station today… (1/4)

… the passenger then jumps over the barrier in a despearate attempt to make his train … (2/4)

… before falling onto the ground as he tumbles over while the guard watches on … (3/4)

… then gets himself up and runs away to try to catch his train at King’s Cross station (4)

Northern Powergrid said 40,000 households had suffered power supply issues in the North East, Yorkshire and northern Lincolnshire, with 28,000 reconnected so far.

The firm said West Yorkshire was the area worst hit by power outages.

Louise Lowes, director of customer services, said: ‘We are mobilising our customer support vehicles immediately to ensure we have welfare arrangements in place and we are keeping local agency partners informed of the communities worst affected by Storm Pia.

‘We encourage anyone who knows of neighbours or relatives who may be in a vulnerable position to call us on 105 so we can ensure they get the additional support they need.’

‘We thank our customers for their patience. We are doing all we can to provide updates about when we will be able to get their power safely back on.’

‘Our main priorities are to deal with emergency situations as quickly as possible, support our customers and ensure our people can work safely as soon as the conditions allow.’

A house damaged by a fallen tree amid Storm Pia in the Derbyshire village of Stanley today

The A435 in Cirencester, Gloucestershire, is completely blocked by a fallen tree this morning

The roof came off a section of a block of flats on Haslam Crescent in Sheffield this morning

All traffic was stopped on the M60 in Greater Manchester today after a lorry overturned

A tree blown onto a Texaco petrol station on Kedleston Road at Five Lamps in Derby today

Workers remove a fallen tree that damaged a house in the Derbyshire village of Stanley today

Branches from a tree, brought down by strong winds onto a car in Huddersfield this morning

A fallen tree blocks Gloucester Road in Cirencester, Gloucestershire, this morning

A lorry overturned in strong winds on the M60 at junction ten in Greater Manchester today

The highest wind gust today was 113mph recorded at the Cairn Gorm mountain summit at 3am, followed by 96mph observed at Bealach na Ba in the western Highlands at 9am.

In third was 81mph, recorded at Baltasound in Shetland at 8am.

All schools on Shetland closed today – while 27 schools and nurseries also shut in the Sutherland and Caithness area of the Highlands, affecting 1,400 pupils.

More electricity network engineers were being brought in to deal with any power cuts, while some CalMac ferry services were axed because of the conditions.

All traffic was stopped on a stretch of the M60 at junction ten at Barton Bridge in Greater Manchester this morning after a lorry overturned in strong winds.

The storm impacts could also be felt into tomorrow’s getaway on the last working day before Christmas when The AA has activated an ‘amber traffic warning’ amid estimates of 16.1million car journeys.

Meanwhile offshore workers based in the North Sea could face being unable to make it home to their families for Christmas after helicopter operators NHV and Offshore Helicopter Services UK cancelled a total of 17 flights from Aberdeen Heliport.

The ford is closed at the Berkshire village of Charvil today after the recent heavy rainfall

The roof came off a section of a block of flats on Haslam Crescent in Sheffield this morning

The A435 in Cirencester, Gloucestershire, is completely blocked by a fallen tree this morning

A tree blown down during Storm Pia on Spital Road on the Wirral in Merseyside today

A tractor is driven through a flooded road near Ingatestone in Essex this morning

High winds are said to have smashed the glass of a Marks & Spencer store in Bolton today

A person walking their dog at Hook Moor Wind Farm near Leeds during Storm Pia today

An upturned trampoline in the West Yorkshire town of Gomersal today amid the strong winds

The roof came off a section of a block of flats on Haslam Crescent in Sheffield this morning

Companies affected by the disruption due to strong winds include Total Energies, CNOOC, Serica, Harbour Energy, and Petrofac, reported the Press and Journal.

Christmas Eve last trains from London DESTINATION LAST TRAIN FROM TRAIN OPERATOR Aberdeen None direct Birmingham New Street 17:22 Euston London Northwestern Birmingham New Street 17:39 Euston Avanti West Coast Birmingham Moor Street 20:00 Marylebone Chiltern Railways Brighton 19:51 London Bridge Thameslink Bristol None direct Cambridge 21:28 Liverpool Street Greater Anglia Cardiff Central None direct Crewe 17:42 Euston Avanti West Coast Edinburgh 09:52 Euston Avanti West Coast Exeter St Davids 18:20 Waterloo South Western Railway Gatwick Airport 19:46 Victoria Southern Gatwick Airport 20:15 London Bridge Thameslink Glasgow Central 16:29 Euston Avanti West Coast Heathrow Airport None direct Hull 12:30 St Pancras Hull Trains Ipswich 21:00 Liverpool Street Greater Anglia Leeds None direct Leicester 20:02 St Pancras East Midlands Railway Liverpool Lime Street 17:42 Euston Avanti West Coast Luton 20:06 St Pancras Thameslink Manchester Piccadilly 17:52 Euston Avanti West Coast Newcastle None direct Northampton 20:20 Euston London Northwestern Norwich 21:00 Liverpool Street Greater Anglia Oxford 20:12 Marylebone Chiltern Railways Peterborough None direct Portsmouth Harbour 20:30 Waterloo South Western Railway Preston 16:29 Euston Avanti West Coast Reading 21:09 Waterloo South Western Railway Sevenoaks 21:46 Charing Cross Southeastern Sheffield 19:32 St Pancras East Midlands Railway Southampton Central None direct Southend Victoria 21:37 Liverpool Street Greater Anglia Stansted Airport 23:25 Liverpool Street Greater Anglia Swansea None direct Windsor 20:44 Waterloo South Western Railway Worcester None direct York None direct

The National Trust said Sutton Hoo, its Anglo-Saxon royal burial site in Suffolk, was closed today due to the high winds.

Newark Air Museum in Nottinghamshire also closed, saying ‘we have had various bits of signage blown onto the site from a neighbouring property and conditions are too dangerous for us to be open’.

The Met Office said a ‘notably deep area of low pressure’ tracked to the north of the UK over the Norwegian Sea through last night and into this morning.

Forecasters added that the weather could be ‘disruptive’ with the storm bringing ‘very strong winds and heavy showers to a large portion of the UK’.

Conditions will remain windy for many areas tomorrow, with further periods of rain likely to sweep in from the west, and some snow across northern Scotland.

Met Office chief meteorologist Paul Gundersen said: ‘From late Wednesday into Thursday, strong winds are likely to develop across a large area of the UK.

‘We’ve issued a large yellow warning area where there’s a potential for some impacts, but gusts of 50 to 60mph are possible for large parts of central and northern areas of the UK.

‘Exposed coasts and high ground could see gusts of 70-80mph at times, mainly across the far north of Scotland.

‘There’s a chance this low pressure will continue to exert its influence into Friday, so it’s important to stay up to date with the latest Met Office forecast.’

He added that the system had been named Storm Pia by the Danish Met Service, because the system is likely to have more severe impacts in Denmark.

Conditions will remain unsettled this weekend, with further Atlantic frontal systems bringing rain and strong winds in.

Rain is expected to be heaviest in the West and North West through the weekend, with any snow ‘most likely confined to high ground in northern Scotland’, the Met Office said. Some central and eastern areas of the UK should remain mostly dry.

Looking further ahead to Christmas Day, the Met Office said there are still some uncertainties in the details of the forecast.

Mr Gundersen added: ‘Christmas Day looks like being fairly unsettled in northern and western areas. Any showers in the north could be wintry with hail and thunder, but even here, any snow will be mainly on high ground.

‘The south of the country will see the best of the drier and brighter conditions.

While temperatures will be near normal for the time of year it will be a windy day for many meaning it will feel colder.

‘Beyond Christmas Day further rain or showers and strong winds are likely for many, and again any sleet and snow will be mainly over the hills of Scotland, as is often the case in December. Further details will be available closer to the time.’

Towards the New Year, conditions are expected to remain unsettled with low pressure bringing breezy and wet conditions for many, although there will be drier and brighter interludes.

It comes as the Police Service of Northern Ireland warned people on the roads to be aware of the potential for falling trees and debris today.

A statement said: ‘Road users are advised of potential traffic disruption this morning, caused by fallen trees and debris in some areas across Northern Ireland.

‘Officers have been assisting with traffic control whilst local roads are being cleared of any obstructions, and we thank you for your patience as we continue to do so.’

TransPennine Express (TPE) said there will be speed restrictions in place from the early hours for trains running to and from Edinburgh and that it will not run services between the city and north-west England until this afternoon.

Holidaymakers queue to check in at Manchester Airport’s terminal one this morning

Holidaymakers queue for check-in at Manchester Airport’s terminal three this morning

Passengers queue for check in at terminal three of Manchester Airport this morning

Holidaymakers queue for check-in at Manchester Airport’s terminal three this morning

Queues for check in at terminal one of Manchester Airport today, four days before Christmas

TPE said it was advising customers not to travel until after 3pm today on services between Manchester, Liverpool, Preston to Carlisle and Edinburgh.

Trains between Manchester Airport and Edinburgh will terminate at Carlisle.

Kathryn O’Brien, customer experience and operations director for TPE, said: ‘Our number one priority is to keep our customers and colleagues safe, and we will be doing all we can to keep people moving in difficult conditions.

‘We are urging anyone travelling across the affected routes to plan ahead, allow extra time, check their journey up until the last minute, and follow the guidance provided.’

Elsewhere on the trains, Network Rail said many services will only run once safety inspections have taken place, leading to some cancellations.

The West Highland line, Kyle of Lochalsh line, and the Far North line, along with Inverness-Inverurie services, will all be subject to inspections before trains can run, and speed restrictions will also be in place in the central belt and the south of Scotland.

Travellers have been warned of ‘short notice changes to journeys’ on ScotRail services and are advised to check ahead, while additional engineers will be deployed to deal with any incidents.

TPE customers were told they could travel with London North Eastern Railway (LNER) via any reasonable route, although these trains were also being affected by the weather.

LNER said there would no train services running to or from Inverness, and they were instead terminating or starting at Edinburgh.

Some LNER services between Edinburgh and London Kings Cross will terminate or start at Newcastle.

The AA has predicted that tomorrow and Saturday will be the busiest days on the UK’s roads

The RAC said 13.5 million leisure journeys by car are expected between tomorrow and Sunday

The AA issued this route planner map for the ‘amber traffic warning’ on December 22 and 23

LNER also said a safety inspection on a train at Church Fenton in North Yorkshire was disrupting journeys between Leeds and York.

Lumo services were also being affected by speed restrictions between Edinburgh and Newcastle which were delaying trains by up to 45 minutes.

Met Office wind warning for today

Thursday, December 21

Strong winds are likely to affect a wide area through Thursday, potentially causing some travel disruption.

What to expect:

• There is a small chance of longer journey times or cancellations as road, rail, air and ferry services are affected
• There is a slight chance of some damage to buildings, such as tiles blown from roofs
• There is a slight chance that power cuts may occur, with the potential to affect other services, such as mobile phone coverage
• There is a small chance that injuries and danger to life could occur from large waves and beach material being thrown onto sea fronts, coastal roads and properties
• There is a small chance of injuries and danger to life from flying debris
• There is a small chance that some roads and bridges could close

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Meanwhile damage to the overhead electric wires between Watford Junction and London Euston was disrupting Avanti West Coast services between Euston and Scotland, and London Northwestern Railway services between Euston and Birmingham.

Transport for Wales said services between Wrexham Central and Bidston were being delayed due to a fallen tree blocking the railway between Gwersyllt and Cefn-Y-Bedd.

Northern warned that due to the severe weather, speed restrictions were in place until 6pm today various routes including between Leeds and Ilkley, Manchester Victoria, Halifax, Preston and Carlisle; Carlisle and Newcastle; Middlesbrough and Whitby; Huddersfield and Bradford Interchange / Sheffield; Manchester Piccadilly and Sheffield; Skipton and Morecambe; Barrow-in-Furness and Lancaster / Carlisle.

Meanwhile an object caught on the overhead wires in the Shipley area in West Yorkshire meant trains running through the station may be cancelled.

Separately, damage to the overhead electric wires between Stoke-on-Trent and Macclesfield and Crewe was causing disruption to journeys between these stations on London Northwestern Railway, CrossCountry, Northern, East Midlands Railway and Avant West Coast trains.

On East Midlands Railway, there was also speed restriction in place due to high winds between Sheffield and Stockport, which was causing delays on the Liverpool, Nottingham and Norwich route.

And there were speed restrictions on Avanti West Coast routes between Glasgow Central and Lockerbie, and Edinburgh and Lockerbie.

Stephen Dixon, a Met Office spokesman, said: ‘It is quite a wide wind warning area. Gusts are forecast quite widely to be 45mph to 55mph, possibly 65mph to 70mph to the east of high ground in Scotland.

‘The strongest winds are likely to be found in the north and north-east of Scotland, including the Northern Isles, with 70mph to 80mph in the morning.’

On the roads, festive getaway traffic is expected to peak earlier than normal this year as Christmas Day falls on a Monday.

Christmas Eve last trains from London DESTINATION LAST TRAIN FROM TRAIN OPERATOR Aberdeen None direct Birmingham New Street 17:22 Euston London Northwestern Birmingham New Street 17:39 Euston Avanti West Coast Birmingham Moor Street 20:00 Marylebone Chiltern Railways Brighton 19:51 London Bridge Thameslink Bristol None direct Cambridge 21:28 Liverpool Street Greater Anglia Cardiff Central None direct Crewe 17:42 Euston Avanti West Coast Edinburgh 09:52 Euston Avanti West Coast Exeter St Davids 18:20 Waterloo South Western Railway Gatwick Airport 19:46 Victoria Southern Gatwick Airport 20:15 London Bridge Thameslink Glasgow Central 16:29 Euston Avanti West Coast Heathrow Airport None direct Hull 12:30 St Pancras Hull Trains Ipswich 21:00 Liverpool Street Greater Anglia Leeds None direct Leicester 20:02 St Pancras East Midlands Railway Liverpool Lime Street 17:42 Euston Avanti West Coast Luton 20:06 St Pancras Thameslink Manchester Piccadilly 17:52 Euston Avanti West Coast Newcastle None direct Northampton 20:20 Euston London Northwestern Norwich 21:00 Liverpool Street Greater Anglia Oxford 20:12 Marylebone Chiltern Railways Peterborough None direct Portsmouth Harbour 20:30 Waterloo South Western Railway Preston 16:29 Euston Avanti West Coast Reading 21:09 Waterloo South Western Railway Sevenoaks 21:46 Charing Cross Southeastern Sheffield 19:32 St Pancras East Midlands Railway Southampton Central None direct Southend Victoria 21:37 Liverpool Street Greater Anglia Stansted Airport 23:25 Liverpool Street Greater Anglia Swansea None direct Windsor 20:44 Waterloo South Western Railway Worcester None direct York None direct

The AA predicted that tomorrow and Saturday will be the busiest days on the UK’s roads in the festive period.

Christmas Eve is traditionally the main day for getaway journeys, but this year many people are taking advantage of a weekend immediately preceding Christmas Day to make trips to friends and family.

The AA estimated that 16.1 million car journeys will take place on tomorrow and 16.4 million on Saturday.

It issued an ‘amber traffic warning’ for those days as it warned of ‘lengthy jams’.

The M25, the M5 between Bristol and Weston-Super-Mare and the M6 around Birmingham were identified as motorway stretches where bumper-to-bumper conditions are likely.

Other potential hotspots include stretches of the M1 from Luton northwards, the M62 and M60 in the North West and the M4 which connects London[15] with South Wales.

AA president Edmund King urged drivers to pack essentials such as water, high-protein food or chocolate, warm clothes and a hi-vis jacket in case they get stranded.

To avoid the chances of a breakdown, Mr King recommended people carry out vehicle checks before setting off, such as on tyres, fuel, oil, coolant and screenwash.

He said: ‘While Friday and Saturday look set to be the busiest travelling days, the unsettled weather forecast could lead to additional delays so drivers should drive to the conditions and slow down where necessary.

‘New Year’s Day will be the quietest day on the roads which is probably a good thing especially if drivers have been partying the previous evening.

‘Drivers can still be breathalysed and lose their licence for driving over the limit the morning after.’

Meanwhile the RAC warmed of daily delays with UK drivers expected to make 21 million leisure trips between Monday of this week and Christmas Eve.

The organisation said getaway traffic will climb slowly at the start of this week before jumping from 2.2million trips tomorrow to 3.2 million tomorrow, the last working day before Christmas Day.

Some 13.5 million leisure journeys by car are expected between tomorrow and Christmas Eve, up 20 per cent on the equivalent period last year.

Congestion is likely to peak tomorrow as drivers embarking on getaway trips compete for road space with commuters and business traffic.

Transport analysis company Inrix warned there are likely to be ‘daily delays of around 40 minutes’ between tomorrow and Christmas Eve on the M25 clockwise west of London.

It predicted the worst queues on the motorway network will be on the M25 clockwise between junction 7 (for the M23/Gatwick airport) and junction 16 (for the M40/Birmingham) tomorrow.

Drivers heading anti-clockwise between junction 17 (Rickmansworth) and junction 12 (for the M3) on the same day are also being warned to prepare for hold-ups.

Other motorway stretches identified as potential hotspots include the M1 north from Woburn, Bedfordshire to Daventry, Northamptonshire and the M6 south from Wigan, Greater Manchester to Stafford, Staffordshire.

During the weekend before Christmas, between 12pm and 2pm is expected to be the busiest time to travel on the roads.

Drivers are advised to set out before 11am or after 6pm to reduce the chance of being stuck in long queues.

National Highways said it will remove more than 1,000 miles of roadworks on England’s motorways and major A roads by 6am on Tuesday.

That means more than 98 per cent of its network will be free of roadworks until January 2.

It’s beginning to look a lot like a white Christmas – technically

By RICHARD MARSDEN

Anyone who has gambled on the chances of a white Christmas this year might be in for a flurry of good luck.

But any wintry weather on December 25 is set to be restricted to Scottish mountains and the highest Pennine hills, forecasters said.

The Met Office said a ‘technical white Christmas’ – where a snowflake falls somewhere in the British Isles – is ‘very likely’.

But the closest most places in England and Wales are likely to come to wintry weather is a frosty morning – which could extend as far south as the Midlands.

Wet and windy weather is also expected in the days before, including Storm Pia today.

Grahame Madge, spokesman for the Met Office, said: ‘It’s very likely to be a technical white Christmas.

‘It’s possible we could see snowfall in the north and west of Scotland, which could reach lower levels, and there is a possibility of snow further south.

‘But the farther you get from the Scottish Highlands, the more remote the possibility.

Within England, the only likely possibility is on the tops of the northern Pennines.’

But Mr Madge said ‘cool air’ likely to be extending over the country on Christmas Day could still mean a frosty morning further south: ‘The question is how far south that cold air will reach.’

He added that there is a ‘possibility’ it could be as far south as the Midlands, leaving the south and south-west of the country with milder conditions.

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RAC spokeswoman Alice Simpson said: ‘Since Christmas falls on a Monday this year, there’s no need for drivers to use annual leave for getaway trips as they can travel over the weekend before.

‘For that very reason, our research suggests these days will be the busiest times to drive, so we urge people to set off as early as possible on Saturday and Sunday.’

She advised drivers to carry out vehicle checks before setting off, such as on tyres, fuel, oil, coolant and screenwash.

Inrix transportation analyst Bob Pishue said: ‘Our recommendation is to avoid peak commuting hours and use traffic apps to minimise holiday travel traffic frustrations.’

BP estimated that in the three-week run up to Christmas day, 1.5million cups of coffee would be sold in its 300 company owned stores across Britain.

This is set to average 72,000 cups a day in this week before Christmas – during which the firm also expects to sell 200,000 energy drinks, 500,000 bags of crisps and one million confectionery items.

Rail services will also be disrupted over the festive period due to Network Rail carrying out engineering work.

London Paddington will be closed between Christmas Eve and Wednesday December 27, meaning no mainline trains will serve Heathrow Airport during that period.

Long-distance services will start and end at Reading, with connecting trains to and from Ealing Broadway or London Waterloo.

The most-booked intercity train over the festive period is believed to be the Great Western Railway service from London Paddington to Penzance at 10.03am on Saturday, reported the Independent[16].

London King’s Cross will be closed on Christmas Eve.

Southeastern services that usually operate to or from London Victoria will be diverted to Blackfriars, Charing Cross and Cannon Street between December 23 and New Year’s Day.

Outside of the capital, an engineering project near Southampton will see some disruption to services, as will work to build the new Cambridge South station.

No trains will operate on Christmas Day, with a very limited service running on Boxing Day.

Lawrence Bowman, network strategy director for Network Rail, said: ‘We understand how important this time of year is for our passengers for reconnecting with family and friends.

‘With more than 96 per cent of the network open for business as usual, we have tried as far as possible to design our investment projects around our passengers and keep disruption to a minimum.

Prices for the cheapest possible ticket available across the six trips analysed by rail and plane

‘We are carrying out some significant projects, not as many as past years, but still some GBP127million of investment ranging from laying new track, installing new bridges and making improvements to stations so that passengers can benefit from better and more reliable services and facilities.

‘We plan our Christmas engineering programmes months – and in some cases years, in advance and target the quietest times, overnight, weekends and Christmas Day and Boxing Day to ensure we keep what disruption there is to an absolute minimum and will always looks to use diversions rather than put people on buses.

‘But some routes will see disruption as we upgrade the railway, so it’s important that passengers check their journeys before travelling.’

Airports will be busy with many people heading overseas for festive holidays or arriving in the UK to spend Christmas with loved ones.

Heathrow Airport expects 6.5million passengers will travel through its terminals this month, with tens of thousands departing on Christmas Day.

The airport will be as busy as a peak day in summer on the last Friday before Christmas – dubbed ‘Flyaway Friday’, according to the Independent.

That day is also expected to see pressure on Aberdeen, Birmingham, Edinburgh, Glasgow and Liverpool airports, with passengers warned over long queues for security.

East Midlands, London Stansted and Manchester airports are set to be busiest on Saturday.

Meanwhile National Express coaches are most in demand on Saturday, while rival operators Flixbus and Megabus say they are equally busy tomorrow and on Saturday.

** Stuck in today’s rail chaos?

Please email: [email protected] **

References

1. ^ Elena Salvoni (www.dailymail.co.uk)
2. ^ Summer Goodkind (www.dailymail.co.uk)
3. ^ Mark Duell (www.dailymail.co.uk)
4. ^ Gatwick (www.dailymail.co.uk)
5. ^ Christmas (www.dailymail.co.uk)
6. ^ Eurostar (www.dailymail.co.uk)
7. ^ France (www.dailymail.co.uk)
8. ^ Edinburgh (www.dailymail.co.uk)
9. ^ Met Office (www.dailymail.co.uk)
10. ^ Northern Ireland (www.dailymail.co.uk)
11. ^ Glasgow (www.dailymail.co.uk)
12. ^ Birmingham (www.dailymail.co.uk)
13. ^ British Airways (www.dailymail.co.uk)
14. ^ Heathrow (www.dailymail.co.uk)
15. ^ London (www.dailymail.co.uk)
16. ^ Independent (www.independent.co.uk)