MOSCOW, October 21 (RIA Novosti) - What’s left of Hurricane Gonzalo has finally reached the UK as powerful winds up to 70 mph have been recorded in Wales, the BBC reports.
The Met Office has issued a “yellow” level weather warning for most of the country, and the organization’s spokesman pointed out the “potential for localized disruption to travel, especially as the strongest winds will coincide with rush hour in places,” according to The Guardian.
Heathrow airport staff said that 10 percent of flights with the 20 biggest carriers may be cancelled due to weather conditions, The Independent reports. The BBC notes, however, that other UK airports, like Gatwick, Stansted and Manchester, haven’t reported any serious problems and do not anticipate any disruptions.
According to the BBC, British Airways has already cancelled flights; their spokesperson stated "The forecast of poor weather has meant that, along with other airlines at Heathrow, we have made some proactive flight cancellations to give customers as much time as possible to be rebooked onto alternative flights."
The Independent added that Scotland may be the worst affected by the tempest, with several bridges closed to high-sided vehicles due to concerns that they may be blown off course; some ferry services in the north face disruptions. A 52 mph gust of wind was recorded in County Donegal, Ireland, the newspaper adds.
“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,” Sean Penston, a forecaster with MeteoGroup, said, according to The Guardian.
According to Carol Kirkwood of BBC Weather, the winds could be powerful enough to inflict “slight structural damage” to property as well as uproot small trees. She added that the strongest winds on Tuesday are expected to be located in western Scotland, the northern and eastern regions of Northern Ireland, and in the north-west of England and north Wales.
The BBC also says that so far, no widespread train delays were reported anywhere in the country.
Hurricane Gonzalo caused widespread destruction and a power blackout in Bermuda last week, with wind speeds reaching 110 mph. The Guardian reports that HMS Argyll, a Royal Navy frigate, has been deployed there to provide assistance in the relief effort.
