Storm Ciara hits UK with trains, flights and ferries cancelled

Storm Ciara battered the UK and northern Europe with hurricane-force winds and heavy rains Sunday, halting flights and trains and producing heaving seas that closed down ports. The storm brought gales across the country and delivered gusts of 97 miles per hour to the Isle of White and 93 mph to the village of Aberdaron in northern Wales. Dozens of flights were cancelled at London airports due to heavy wind. Heathrow and several airlines consolidated flights Sunday to reduce the number of cancellations. BA offered to rebook customers for domestic and European flights out of Heathrow, Gatwick and London City airports. Virgin Airlines cancelled some flights. Lufthansa airlines said there would be numerous cancellations and delays beginning Sunday afternoon and running until at least Tuesday. The airline planned to keep operating long-haul flights at its main Frankfurt hub. Eurowings, a budget subsidiary of Lufthansa, cancelled most flights for the duration of the storm. Brussels Airport also saw delays or cancellations.<br/>