A weather warning is continuing in Northern Ireland as strong winds disrupt Christmas travel plans.
The Met Office has issued a yellow alert which remains in force until 9pm tonight.
The warning is in place for all six NI counties, with warnings that 70mph gusts are possible in some places.
It comes after snow fell on high ground overnight. A car slid off the road during snowy and icy conditions on the Shane’s Hill Road outside Larne.
The Met Office warning also remains in Scotland and Wales. Meanwhile, in England, the alert covers the North East, North West, South West and West Midlands as well as Yorkshire, Derbyshire and Hampshire.
P&O Ferries said journeys between Larne and Cairnryan have been cancelled until at least 8pm this evening.
Today’s Elite League fixture between the Belfast Giants and Fife Flyers at The SSE Arena in Belfast has been postponed due to weather-related travel delays.
The Foyle Bridge in Londonderry has also been closed to high-sided vehicles.
Snow arrives on Shane’s Hill close to Larne on December 22nd 2024 (Photo by Kevin Scott)
The Met Office said a prolonged period of strong winds could lead to disruption over the weekend, especially to travel.
It said: “Strong and gusty northwesterly winds are expected to develop on Sunday. Gusts of 50-60mph are expected quite widely, and around some exposed coasts and hills of gusts 70mph are possible, especially in the north and west.
“In addition, squally showers are likely with some hail and thunder possible in places.
“This has the potential to cause delays to public transport and some disruption to the road network, which may have a greater than usual impact given the busier pre-Christmas weekend travel.
“Dangerous coastal conditions can be expected too, with large waves an additional hazard.”
Heathrow Airport announced a “small number of flights” had been cancelled due to “strong winds and airspace restriction” and British Airways said disruption was likely to continue throughout the weekend.
A spokesperson for the airline said: “Due to adverse weather this weekend, restrictions have been put on the number of flights able to take off and land at Heathrow and therefore we’ve had to make a small number of cancellations.
“We’re offering free flight changes for those customers booked on short-haul services who don’t wish to travel this weekend, and we will be offering rebooking and refund options as always to those whose journeys are disrupted as a result of the restrictions.
“While the vast majority of our customers will travel as planned, our teams are working hard to help those who have been affected get their travel plans back on track at this important time of year.”
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News Catch up – Thursday 19 December