Easter getaways in chaos as Storm Nelson hits and ferries cancelled

Alex Barton
·2 min read

Easter bank holiday getaways have been thrown into chaos after 70mph winds from Storm Nelson cancelled cross-Channel ferries and forced a pilot to abort a landing at Gatwick Airport.

Airports have predicted record-breaking numbers of travellers over the extended weekend, with more than two million people expected to fly abroad. However, bad weather disrupted thousands of people’s journeys on Thursday.

Ferry company DFDS said that some departures from Newhaven to Dieppe had been cancelled “due to severe weather conditions”. Floods on the railways also resulted in diversions and cancellations, with Great Western Railway forced to reroute around waterlogged tracks at Bedwyn, near Westbury. All of the network’s services between London Paddington and Reading on the morning of Easter Sunday have been cancelled to allow for emergency engineering works.

A DFDS ferry arrives at the Port of Dover in Kent during rough seas
A DFDS ferry arrives at the Port of Dover in Kent during rough seas - Gareth Fuller/PA

The RAC has predicted that drivers will face journey times of double their normal length, with more than 14 million motorists expected to take to the roads between Thursday and Easter Sunday. The longest delays are expected between 11am and 3pm on Friday, with drivers being advised to set off as early as possible or wait until later in the afternoon.

Afternoon rush hour and bank holiday traffic begins to build up on M6 motorway through Cheshire
Traffic builds up on the M6 in Knutsford on Thursday evening ahead of the extended bank holiday - Christopher Furlong/Getty Images Europe
People in the rain walking along Westminster Bridge in London
People in the rain walking along Westminster Bridge in London - PA

Dramatic video footage on Thursday showed an EasyJet airliner at Gatwick Airport appearing to be caught in a strong gust of wind immediately before touchdown, pushing the 186-seat aircraft towards the side of the runway.

The pilot aborted the landing attempt before touching down successfully 10 minutes later, with a spokesman saying that safety was Easyjet’s “highest priority”.

The Met Office has warned there is a “small chance” of injuries and risk to life as a result of the strong winds and large waves, as well as the possibility of hail and thunder.

The Spanish-named Storm Nelson brought winds of up to 70mph to parts of England on Thursday. Greg Dewhurst, a Met Office meteorologist, said: “We have seen winds of up to 76mph in Bury Head, Devon, with gusts between 40mph and 60mph along the coast.”

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