TORONTO — Off-season travel comes with the risk of winter storms and flight disruptions, as travellers to and from Ireland and the UK are finding out.
Airlines including Air Canada and Aer Lingus have posted travel alerts ahead of Storm Éowyn, forecast to bring extremely rare hurricane-force winds to Ireland, Northern Ireland and Scotland later tonight and through tomorrow.
The storm will hit just as VisitBritain’s annual flagship event, Showcase Britain, gets underway, however event organizers may have timing on their side. The event is ready to kick off today at Hampton Court Palace. Attendees won’t depart for their post-tours across England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales until after the British & Ireland Marketplace 2025 (BIM) at the InterContinental London – The O2, taking place tomorrow. Travel trade from across 17 international markets including Canada are taking part in Showcase Britain.
“EXTREMELY DANGEROUS TRAVELLING CONDITIONS”
The national forecasters for Ireland and the U.K. both issued the most serious weather warnings Thursday about the impact of Storm Éowyn, which is expected to hit the Irish coast in the early hours of Friday before heading northeast to Scotland.
With the storm bringing gusts of wind around 161 kph, people have been urged by authorities to put on hold any travel plans.
Ireland’s Met Éireann issued a rare nationwide red warning for wind across the country between 2 a.m. and 10 p.m. It said there’s a possible “danger to life” as well as “extremely dangerous travelling conditions” and the prospect of coastal flooding.
The country’s National Emergency Co-ordination Group said the storm will be one of the “most severe” Ireland has experienced.
The U.K.’s Met Office has also issued a red warning for wind for Northern Ireland as well as central and southwestern areas of Scotland on Friday.
“We reserve the issuing of Red Warnings for the most severe weather which represents a likely danger to life and severe disruption, and that is the case with Storm Éowyn,” the agency’s chief meteorologist Paul Gundersen said.
“It’s important to emphasize that a red warning is very serious. It’s only whenever there is a genuine threat to life and potential damage to property, and the public should expect significant disruption to travel and also potential power outages because of the severity of conditions,” Northern Ireland’s First Minister Michelle O’Neill said.
Scotland’s First Minister John Swinney said police would issue a formal “do not travel” notice later for the area covered by the red weather warning.
“We have to be clear. People should not travel,” he said.
“It’s important to note that even those away from the immediate Red Warning areas will still likely see disruptive weather, with travel plans likely to be severely impacted, as well as the possibility of power cuts for some,” said the Met Office’s Gundersen.
REBOOKING POLICIES & FLIGHT DISRUPTIONS
With an eye on the storm, Air Canada has triggered its flexible rebooking policy for Dublin and London Heathrow for Jan. 23 and Jan. 24. More details can be found here.
Aer Lingus has also posted an alert for travellers. “Storm Éowyn will cause significant travel disruption to/from Ireland and the UK on Friday,” said the airline in a post.
Aeir Lingus added that some operational changes and flight cancellations have already been made across its network, with the potential for further changes as the storm gets underway. More information is here.
Dublin Airport and Scotland Airport have also posted updates, notifying travellers about possible flight disruptions on Jan. 24 and Jan. 25.
With file from The Associated Press
