Storm Boelo forces cancellations at Heathrow and Gatwick

Strong winds associated with Storm Boelo continued to disrupt travel on Monday, prompting the cancellation of dozens of flights at London’s two main airports. Heathrow experienced the greatest impact, especially on short-haul routes, while Gatwick officials advised passengers to verify their flight status before travelling due to hazardous wind conditions.

The weather system follows Storm Austen, which struck the south of England on Friday and caused reduced air-traffic control spacing across the South East. The cumulative effect has left thousands of passengers stranded and forced airlines to adjust schedules to avoid a complete gridlock of the network.

Flights scheduled for Sunday that were confirmed cancelled include British Airways services to Edinburgh, Paris, Rome and Aberdeen, as well as flights operated by LoganAir, Riyadh Air, Emirates, EasyJet, Lufthansa, Air France, Aer Lingus and Vueling. Additional cancellations were announced for Monday, affecting British Airways flights to Glasgow, Aberdeen and Manchester.

Beyond aviation, rail services in Scotland and northern England faced speed restrictions, line closures and flooding, with Network Rail reporting water on platforms and fallen trees near tracks. Major roads in Scotland were also closed due to debris and wind damage.

The Met Office issued an amber wind warning for Scotland, parts of Northern Ireland and the far north of England, and a yellow warning for southern regions, urging people to stay indoors where possible. The Environment Agency and the Scottish Environment Protection Agency released multiple flood warnings and alerts for northern England and Scotland.

The storm also led to the last-minute cancellation of London’s annual Diwali and Square celebrations, following advice from independent health and safety experts that the conditions were unsafe for event setup in Trafalgar Square.