Thousands Disrupted as Thunderstorms Force Flight Cancellations at Heathrow and Gatwick Airports

A severe heatwave has given way to stormy weather, causing chaos at London airports. The disruption has resulted in around 40,000 passengers having their flights cancelled over the weekend.

Passengers have been advised to check their flight status online before heading to the airport. Many have taken to social media to express their frustration with airlines, citing a lack of communication and poor customer service. One passenger's easyJet flight from Dalaman, Turkey, was cancelled at 10pm on Saturday, with no update on a rescheduled flight provided until over 11 hours later.

Another passenger berated British Airways on social media, describing the customer service at Heathrow's Terminal 5 as "shocking." The passenger reported that only three staff members were available to assist with delayed flights and missed connections, with no air conditioning or water provided.

Passengers wait in the check in area of Gatwick Airport as flights are cancelled or delayed, in Horley, south of London on July 19, 2024. The British government said Friday that it had activated its civil contingencies committee to handle the response to a global IT outage that hit UK transport and health services. Airports including London Luton, Belfast and Edinburgh warned of longer waiting times for passengers because of the glitch, which was apparently caused by an update to an antivirus programme. (Photo by BENJAMIN CREMEL / AFP) (Photo by BENJAMIN CREMEL/AFP via Getty Images)

A man on a cancelled flight from Gatwick to Rhodes described being held on a plane for five hours with only one refreshment offered. He expressed his disappointment with the airline's handling of the situation, saying the treatment was "disgusting."

The disruption highlights the impact of extreme weather on airline operations during the summer season. Thunderstorms swept across the UK on Saturday morning, causing lightning strikes and a suspected house fire in London. The chaos was not limited to the UK, with flights from Spain, Italy, France, Germany, and Greece to London experiencing delays.

European air traffic managers identified the airspace between southeast England and northwest Europe as the worst affected, with further thunderstorm development possible across a broad area of Europe. Commercial aircraft are designed to operate safely in a range of weather conditions, but thunderstorms remain a major operational hazard.

Lightning spectacular lights up Welsh skies as 29,000 strikes hit UK overnight A breathtaking photograph captured from the porch of a Pembrokeshire farmhouse has revealed the sheer power of the overnight thunderstorms that exploded across Wales. Photographer Andy Holcroft snapped the dramatic image from The Bug Farm near St Davids in Pembrokeshire, showing dozens of lightning bolts tearing through the night sky beneath towering storm clouds. The spectacular display came as around 29,000 lightning strikes lit up the sky overnight across the UK, according to the Met Office. After days of sweltering temperatures and multiple amber and red weather warnings across Wales, the early hours of Friday morning brought a dramatic change as thunderstorms rolled across large parts of the country. Andy said the storm created an unforgettable scene as forked lightning repeatedly illuminated the horizon, turning night into day for brief moments as thunder rumbled across the Pembrokeshire countryside. The Met Office had issued a yellow thunderstorm warning from 6pm on Thursday until 10am on Friday, covering large parts of Wales. Many being woken by loud cracks of thunder while others took to social media to share photographs and videos of lightning displays captured from their homes. The image from The Bug Farm perfectly captures the intensity of the storm, with multiple lightning strikes visible across a wide stretch of sky as heavy rain falls in the distance. A Met Office spokesperson warned that while not every area would experience storms, those that did could face sudden gusts of between 50 and 60mph, frequent lightning, hail and torrential downpours capable of dumping up to 20mm of rain within an hour. Forecasters say the storms will bring some relief from the recent heatwave conditions, with temperatures expected to dip slightly over the coming days. However, conditions are still expected to remain warm and humid across much of Wales. The start of July is also expected to bring further unsettled weather, with meteorologists predicting additional thundery outbreaks, periods of heavy rain and scattered showers. For many across Wales, however, the overnight storm will be remembered for its incredible lightning displays ??? none more dramatic than the stunning scene captured by Andy Holcroft from the porch of The Bug Farm in Pembrokeshire. WALES NEWS SERVICE

Pilots avoid intense storm cells due to the risk of severe turbulence, wind shear, and reduced visibility. To avoid these risks, planes are rerouted by air traffic control, leading to longer flight paths and delays for later flights.

If a flight is cancelled, airlines must provide passengers with assistance under UK law, including food, drink, and accommodation. The UK Civil Aviation Authority advises passengers to keep receipts for any expenses incurred and to claim costs back from the airline later.