BBC Showcase To Go Ahead as Storm Ciara Batters U.K.

Manori Ravindran
·2 min read

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A heavy storm that has battered the U.K. overnight is set to cause travel disruptions for those travelling to the BBC Showcase in Liverpool, though it will be business as usual for the annual event.

The four-day gathering, at which distribution powerhouse BBC Studios hosts close to 700 global buyers, is set to kick off this afternoon but Storm Ciara, which descended overnight, has seen amber weather warnings for wind and heavy rain issued for most of the country, severely impacting travel.

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However, Variety has confirmed that BBC Showcase will go ahead despite the storm.

A BBC Studios spokesperson said: “BBC Studios Showcase will be open for business as planned from 2PM. We appreciate that journeys today will be slower and more difficult than normal but we look forward to welcoming our customers and guests to Liverpool for this four-day event.”

The storm has seen dozens of flights cancelled and train travel severely affected, with more than 150 flood warnings in place.

Sports events set for Sunday, such as Manchester City’s Premier League game against West Ham and Scotland’s Women’s Six Nations rugby match against England, have been postponed.

Most buyers generally arrive in Liverpool – a roughly two-hour train journey north of London – across the weekend, meaning a good number would have already been in place ahead of the storm, but a healthy number would have been set to travel in today.

Winds of up to 80 mph are set to hit Liverpool today, while gusts of up to 94 mph have already been recorded elsewhere in the country.

Disruption from Storm Ciara is forecast to continue through to Monday morning.

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