Travel expert Simon Calder has issued a stark one-word warning to holidaymakers flying abroad: 'upset'. Appearing on GB News Breakfast, he cautioned that severe thunderstorms forecast across much of the UK will cause significant disruption to travel plans.
Thunderstorm Warnings Across the UK
The Met Office has issued three yellow weather warnings for thunderstorms on Friday, June 26. One warning covers 75 areas across England and Wales from midnight to 10am, with risks of lightning, torrential downpours, and flooding. A separate warning for Scotland affects 31 areas and remains in place until 11.59pm. Northern Ireland is under a 10-hour thunderstorm warning starting at midnight.
Calder explained that air traffic controllers, pilots, and cabin crew are closely monitoring the forecasts. 'Their jaws will be dropping at the welcome for the thunderstorms,' he said. 'The thunderstorm warnings are really going to upset a lot of people's travel plans, I'm afraid.'
Ongoing Disruption at Airports
Calder noted that thunderstorms have already caused delays. 'Overnight at Edinburgh Airport, we saw lots of long delays, typically two hours incoming,' he observed. 'There was a Ryanair flight from Portugal, which had to divert to Newcastle.' He added that no pilot will fly through thunderstorms, and ground operations at airports may have to stop, leading to widespread disruption.
The expert predicted problems from Bristol Airport through the Midlands to Manchester Airport and southern Scotland. 'This is annoying for a lot of people... Scotland because schools have largely broken up, and families will be wanting to fly off to the Mediterranean, and that could have problems,' he said.
Previous Thunderstorm Impacts
Thunderstorms have already affected southern England earlier this week. On Tuesday, June 23, hot weather triggered lightning and heavy downpours. The Met Office reported that Somerset recorded around 18,540 lightning strikes in a 24-hour period. The London Fire Brigade received approximately 400 calls overnight, including reports of two house fires believed to have been caused by lightning strikes, as well as flooding incidents affecting homes.
Calder concluded that the disruption is likely to continue, urging travellers to check their flight status and prepare for potential delays.
