What the UK air traffic control service NATS expected to be the busiest day of summer in terms of plane travel turned out to be a day of delayed and cancelled flights, no thanks to Friday’s thunderstorm which also saw traffic jams and long waits at the Eurotunnel.
At Stansted Airport, for instance, at least 30 flights were reported cancelled on July 27. Saturday was chaotic as well, with several passengers sharing photos of the situation on social media – depicting a sea of people stuck in the airport instead of enjoying their holidays at various destinations.
A spokesperson for Ryanair said the low-cost carrier was “forced to cancel a number of flights” after the extreme weather on Friday. “The knock-on effect of this and ATC (air traffic control) staff shortages has caused further disruptions today (July 28) including delays and cancellations,” a BBC report quoted the airline representative as saying.
Insurance brokers, therefore, should be expecting a deluge of travel claims – and they can add to this a host of further claims from flooded homeowners impacted by downpours over the weekend.
County Antrim in Northern Ireland was among the areas hit, with residents having to evacuate.
“Belfast International Airport has recorded an incredible 88.2mm of rain this afternoon,” tweeted the Met Office on Saturday. “That is over one month’s worth of rainfall.”
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