The UK faces ongoing travel chaos due to extreme weather and strikes. Flights, trains, and roads are severely affected, causing widespread disruption.
Extreme Weather Causes Travel Chaos in the UK
The UK is experiencing severe travel disruptions this week. Extreme weather and strikes are causing problems for travelers. Airports, railways, and roads are all affected.
On Monday, thousands of air passengers found themselves stranded due to flight cancellations over the weekend. The extreme weather caused delays and cancellations, leaving many in unexpected locations.
Rail travel is also in turmoil. According to MSN. train drivers are on strike, leading to major disruptions. This is particularly noticeable on the East Coast main line. This key route, connecting Scotland, northeast England, and Yorkshire to London, faces crew shortages and flooding issues. In Devon and Somerset, flooding has shut down the line between Axminster and Crewkerne.
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Roads in Cumbria and the Peak District are blocked by snow. The Met Office has issued multiple yellow weather warnings for ice, snow, and rain across the UK. This extreme weather is impacting areas from Scotland to southern England.
The weekend was particularly challenging. As per the news report, airports like Glasgow saw heavy snow, causing delays and cancellations-one notable cancellation involved over 100 children bound for Finnish Lapland. Airports like London Heathrow and Munich also experienced significant disruptions due to the extreme weather.
Rail strikes add to the woes. London's major stations are seeing reduced services due to the train drivers' overtime ban. Upcoming days will see further strikes affecting various regions.
Extreme Weather, Floods in the UK Lead to Major Travel Disruptions
The UK is currently grappling with extreme weather conditions, particularly heavy rain, leading to nearly 50 flood warnings. This situation is expected to cause considerable travel disruption in various parts of the country.
The Met Office reports that 48 flood warnings are mainly in Dorset and Somerset due to the heavy rain raising river levels. This extreme weather has already led to significant difficulties for motorists and rail passengers, as reported by Sky News.
One of the major impacts is on National Highways, where the A303 in Somerset has been closed eastbound between the A37/A372 at Podimore and the A359 near Sparkford. The closure is due to flooding, and there is no estimated time for reopening.
Rail services are also heavily impacted. Flooding has blocked the railway line between Taunton and Westbury, affecting Great Western Railway (GWR) and CrossCountry services. GWR trains to London are now being diverted via Bristol, which is extending journey times by up to two hours.
Additionally, fewer trains than normal can run between Exeter St Davids and Yeovil Junction due to extreme rainfall in the Crewkerne area of Somerset. Passengers have been advised not to travel between Salisbury and Exeter.
Meanwhile, in Cumbria, emergency services had to save drivers from cars stuck in deep snow.
A Met Office spokesperson, Grahame Madge, mentioned that by week's end, snow risks will mainly be in the Scottish mountains. He explained that temperatures are going from below to above average now.
On Monday night, the North still faced frost risks. Frost could reach from Scotland to central southern England on Tuesday.
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This article is copyrighted by Travelers Today, the travel news leader
