Storm Dennis is set to cause disruption this weekend, with the Met Office issuing weather warnings for much of the UK. Today, easyJet is said to have cancelled 234 of its flights today – with these being both arrivals and departures to and from the UK. The airline has announced a further 60 cancellations for tomorrow, according to reports.
An easyJet spokesperson told Express.co.uk: “Due to the extreme weather conditions caused by Storm Dennis, it has been necessary for easyJet to cancel some flights over the weekend.
“We are doing everything possible to minimise the impact of the disruption for our customers. Affected passengers are being given the option of receiving a refund, transferring their flight free of charge, or re-routing.
“We will do all we can to get our passengers to their final destination as soon as we can. We are also providing hotel rooms and meals for customers who require them.
“We recommend customers travelling to and from UK this weekend to check the status of their flight and gate information on easyJet’s Flight Tracker at www.easyjet.com/en/flight-tracker or on the app for latest travel updates.
READ MORE: UK weather warning: 65 FOOT waves recorded as Storm Dennis rages towards Britain
“Whilst this is outside of our control, we would like to apologise to passengers for any inconvenience experienced as a result of the weather.
“The safety of its passengers and crew is the airlines highest priority.”
On the airline website, it said: “Storm Dennis is set to hit the UK from Saturday 15th February into Sunday 16th February, it is expected to bring high winds and heavy rain to some areas.
“We are working closely with the Met office and aim to minimise disruption to flights as much as possible.
“We recommend that you leave plenty of time to arrive for your flights as journeys to the airport by road or other transport could be disrupted.
“If your flight is cancelled, we will contact you in advance. We advise customers on a cancelled flights not to travel to the airport but to transfer their flights free of charge or take a refund by logging onto Manage Bookings on easyJet.com or our Flight Tracker: easyjet.com/XXXX( Your flight number).
“If an overnight accommodation is required, affected passengers can book this through our Flight Tracker page easyjet.com/XXXX (Your flight number).
“For the most up to date information regarding your flight please check out flight tracker on our mobile app or website at www.easyjet.com/(yourflightnumber).”
British Airways has grounded 40 departures from Heathrow today.
A spokesperson for British Airways said:“The majority of our flights are planned to operate as scheduled, but like all airlines flying to and from the UK today we are experiencing some disruption due to the stormy weather conditions.
“We are merging a small number of Heathrow short-haul flights to the same destination and using larger aircraft where possible to minimise disruption.
“Customers can check ba.com for the latest flight information.”
The Met Office forecast suggests the worst hit areas could see between 120-140mm of rainfall and gusts of wind of up to 80 miles per hour (mph) this weekend.
Chief meteorologist Steve Willington said: “With Storm Dennis bringing further heavy and persistent rain over the weekend, there is a risk of significant impacts from flooding, including damage to property and a danger to life from fast-flowing floodwater.”
With the Met Office announcing amber warnings for rain, many will look to see whether their travel plans across the UK will likely be affected.
Today, Network Rail has warned the Storm Dennis will affect a number of services this weekend.
Elsewhere this week, British Airways have told customers it is offering all passengers booked on short-haul flights in and out of Heathrow, Gatwick or London City airports on Saturday February 15 the opportunity to rebook their flight on another day – up to Wednesday February 19, inclusive.
The airline said on Thursday: “We recognise the uncertainty that the expected bad weather may be causing customers, and have therefore introduced flexible rebooking options for customers booked on short-haul flights in or out of Heathrow, Gatwick or London City airports on Saturday.
“Safety is at the heart of everything we do, and our highly trained team is carefully monitoring the weather this weekend.”