Thunderstorms trigger major disruption at London’s Heathrow and Gatwick airports

Severe thunderstorms across south-east England and parts of Europe caused widespread disruption at London’s Heathrow and Gatwick airports on Saturday, delaying more than 900 flights and forcing dozens of cancellations.

According to flight tracking data, more than 474 flights at Heathrow and 439 at Gatwick were delayed, with some disruptions stretching for up to 11 hours. One British Airways service from Santiago, Chile, scheduled to arrive at Heathrow at 10:00 BST (UTC+1), was not expected to land until 21:00.

UK air traffic control provider NATS said aircraft were being required to avoid storm-affected areas and maintain greater separation, significantly reducing airspace capacity. The agency warned that disruption was likely to continue through Saturday night, although conditions in UK airspace are expected to improve on Sunday.

European air traffic manager Eurocontrol identified the airspace between south-east England and north-west Europe as the worst affected, with further thunderstorm development possible across a broad swathe of Europe extending from northern Spain to southern Sweden.

The storms follow a record-breaking heatwave in the UK, which saw temperatures reach an all-time June high of 37.3°C in Suffolk on Friday. Passengers travelling through Heathrow and Gatwick have been advised to check with their airlines before heading to the airport.