Storm Brendan batters UK: Gales, rain disrupt flights, trains & ferries; trees uprooted; drivers asked to be cautious

LONDON: Storm Brendan Tuesday forced airlines to divert flights as it brought high winds to the United Kingdom after battering parts of Ireland, with more strong gusts forecast.

Seven flights to Gatwick airport were directed around the UK after gales in excess of 40mph struck the area on Monday evening. Gatwick said two Wizz Air flights, four easyJet services and one Norwegian Air flight were diverted, while an easyJet plane from Edinburgh to Gatwick was forced to land in Birmingham. The Met Office said conditions around the airport were blustery overnight and warned that stronger gusts could batter the area on Tuesday afternoon, international media reports. Flight-tracking site flightradar24 said there were "strong winds and rain" at Gatwick and showed the Wizz Air flight circling before heading north. An easyJet spokesman said: "We can confirm that as a result of adverse weather conditions affecting the UK this evening, like all airlines, we are experiencing some disruption to our flying programme.

"We would like to reassure passengers that we will do everything possible to minimise the impact of the disruption." Yellow wind warnings were in force until midnight for Northern Ireland, much of the western half of the UK and northeast Scotland. The wild weather will also continue on Tuesday, when the strong winds are expected to affect Wales and nearly all of England. Forecasters have told people to prepare for travel delays, while coastal communities could be hit by large waves. The strongest winds recorded on Monday were 87mph (140kmh) on South Uist in the Outer Hebrides, and a 76mph (122kmh) gust in Capel Curig, northwest Wales. Ireland's nation forecaster Met Eireann said winds of over 83mph (133kmh) had been recorded at Roches Point on the south coast. A trampoline was seen on the M7 motorway to Limerick - thought to have been blown on to the road.

On Tuesday, the yellow wind warning for the UK expanded from western areas to cover Wales and nearly all of England from midday until midnight.

The Met Office said they could reach 40mph to 50mph inland. A warning for heavy rain in southeast England was also in place from 1pm on Tuesday until 9am on Wednesday. In Northern Scotland, a warning for snow and ice was in place from 1am until 1pm.

Met Office spokesman Oli Claydon said that northern and western Scotland would continue to be hit with high winds of 60mph to 70mph from Storm Brendan but a new low-pressure front would cause blustery conditions for England and Wales. Mr Claydon said the high winds and rain could lead to “unpleasant” travelling conditions and cause disruption to roads, trains and ferries. He added: “We are looking at gusts of 40mph to 50mph with exposed coasts and the tops of hills seeing 60mph and maybe even up to 70mph. “With that, there’s also going to be some rain, making conditions quite unpleasant. “It’s certainly going to be unpleasant driving conditions and could lead to disruption across many travel networks.” Gales of up to 80mph affected railways across the country on Tuesday, with passengers facing delays and temporary speed limits due to the heavy winds and fallen trees, while drivers were advised to take extra care on the roads. Trees falling on the lines caused travel disruption between Farnborough Main and Basingstoke and between Merthyr Vale and Merthyr Tydfil, according to National Rail Enquiries.