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Europe June 27, 2026

Severe Flight Disruptions Hit Heathrow and Gatwick as Heatwave Gives Way to Thunderstorms, Causing Delays of up to 11 Hours.

Severe Flight Disruptions Hit Heathrow and Gatwick as Heatwave Gives Way to Thunderstorms, Causing Delays of up to 11 Hours.

A severe storm system has disrupted air travel in the UK, causing nearly 800 flight delays to and from a major airport. The storms, located to the south of the UK, are expected to intensify, forcing flights to navigate around a large area of hot and unstable air.

The stormy weather comes after a period of extreme heat, with temperatures reaching 33C in some areas. The adverse weather conditions have resulted in significant disruptions, with many flights affected by the storms.

In addition to the flight delays, the storms have also caused damage to properties in several areas. A home in Crawley was damaged after a lightning strike, while a property in Streatham, South London, suffered a roof fire sparked by a lightning bolt.

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)

The amber weather warning for extreme heat has been extended, with temperatures expected to remain high in London, the South East, and East Anglia until 9pm tomorrow. The region is bracing for continued hot and unstable weather.

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

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