Show summary Hide summary
Thousands of passengers were affected after Bristol Airport suspended departures when severe thunderstorms damaged systems used to manage flights. The storm also disrupted rail and London services, creating widespread travel delays across parts of the UK.
Airport operations halted after storm damage
Flights were grounded when the storm affected critical air traffic control systems, leaving aircraft unable to leave the airport while engineers investigated. The traffic-monitoring service Inrix said all departures were paused as teams assessed the fault.
Yoga Picnic spotlights food as Cook With Kia unveils new kitchen
On a mystery flight with 30 others: a passenger’s account
Airport staff advised travellers to contact their airlines before setting out. Officials have not given a timetable for a full resumption of services, and the outage is expected to produce a ripple effect of delays and cancellations for passengers both arriving at and departing from Bristol Airport.
Rail and London transport also hit
Heavy rain, frequent lightning and strong thunderstorms that swept parts of the UK also affected other transport networks. Rail companies introduced emergency speed restrictions on some routes, warning of longer journey times throughout the day.
In London, several Underground and overground services were disrupted by the aftermath of the storms. Commuters travelling to Heathrow faced additional problems after services between Terminal 4 and Terminals 2 and 3 were suspended, compounding existing weather-related delays.
Transport authorities urged passengers to check the status of services and allow extra time for travel while crews work to restore normal operations.
