Planes unable to land as heavy fog causes chaos

07 January 2024 , 18:37

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Belfast International Airport is affected by the weather (file image) (Image: Getty Images)

Planes are unable to land at UK airports due to heavy fog.

Several aeroplanes are circling above Belfast City Airport in a bid to be granted permission to make a safe arrival. One has been diverted to Dublin, it is understood. Belfast International Airport is also believed to be affected.

Images from Flightrader show several planes circling over Northern Ireland's capital, unable to land due to the conditions. Fog is expected to continue to blanket the city through until Monday morning, forecasters believe. Temperatures are also set to plunge overnight.

Aer Lingus flights to Belfast City Airport from Newcastle, Birmingham and Leeds-Bradford have been cancelled tonight, though the reasons are yet to be confirmed. Several departures at the same airport, named after George Best, have also been cancelled tonight.

The Belfast Giants’ Elite League hockey match against Cardiff Devils has also been cancelled after the NI side’s flight was cancelled due to the weather. The Welsh side said “alternative options” had been explored but they were unable to find a resolution.

Gales, snow and rain to batter country today with 80mph wind gusts

Planes are unable to land at Belfast airports

Roads have been closed across Northern Ireland, and elsewhere in the UK, due to ice. Stopping distances increase greatly when weather conditions are poor, so road users have been reminded tonight to slow down and leave a bigger gap between their vehicle and the vehicle in front.

Forecasters warned Brits would wake this morning to icy stretches of road, fog patches and frost. They also predict the temperatures will drop to -6C in rural areas along the Welsh border in Shropshire and north Herefordshire tonight.

Speaking earlier, the Met Office chief forecaster Jason Kelly said: “The transition to lower temperatures will be noticeable over the weekend. It will become rather cold next week with lower-than-average temperatures across much of the UK, accentuated by brisk easterly winds in the south.

“As the prevailing weather conditions will be characterised by high pressure, a good deal of settled weather is likely. Clearer skies and a marked reduction in precipitation are expected, although any showers that do occur are likely to be wintry in nature. A combination of overnight freezing temperatures, saturated ground and calm winds mean increasing risks of frost, fog and icy conditions.”

Bradley Jolly