Flights have been cancelled and drivers urged to take care as Storm Lilian sweeps across parts of the UK ahead of what could be the busiest August bank holiday on the roads on record with festivals goers bearing the brunt of the strong winds.
Strong winds of up to 80mph are forecast in northern parts of England and Wales on Friday, with travel disruption, flooding, power cuts and dangerous conditions near coastal areas likely.
British Airways has cancelled 14 flights scheduled to take off from Heathrow on Friday and delayed others, according to the airline’s website.
The cancellations include international flights to Italy, Switzerland and the US as well as domestic journeys to Scotland and Northern Ireland.
A spokesperson for British Airways said: “Due to restrictions imposed by air traffic control as a result of adverse weather across the UK, we’ve made some minor adjustments to our schedule.
“We’ve apologised to our customers for the disruption to their travel plans and to help get them to their destinations as quickly as possible.”
Meanwhile, punters at both Leeds festival and Creamfields, which is in Daresbury, Cheshire had to endure a night of gale force winds protected only by the thin fabric of their tents.
Chaotic scenes from both festivals have gone viral on social media with one clip literally showing a tent blowing in the wind.
Another clip from Leeds showed a tent getting demolished by the winds.
Some have even compared it to the recent blockbuster Twisters .
Maybe the best video was recorded at Creamfields at 6:20 am on Friday morning and resembled a scene from a war movie, complete with someone running around in a t-rex costume.
Reading and Leeds festival have since posted an update on social media, stating: "We can see an end in sight to the high winds. We definitely won't be opening the arena at 11am, but we are targeting as soon as possible after that and we will update you further. However, we have definitely lost the BBC Radio 1 stage today, and there will be no performances on it. We have also lost the Aux stage today, and there will be no performances on it. We remain hopeful that everything else will continue as planned and that we will still have an amazing weekend. Please await further information."
In addition, Creamfields have said: "Thanks for your patience as we work hard on our safety contingencies to ensure a safe and secure opening today. The high winds we experienced early this morning are already easing and are expected to pass by mid-morning and we are fully prepared for the day ahead."
Additional reporting by PA.
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