Strong Winds from Storm Pia Disrupt Holiday Travel in the UK

LONDON (AP) — High winds from Storm Pia disrupted holiday travel Thursday in northern areas of the U.K. as flights were grounded, train service was suspended or slowed, and ferries stopped running to islands off Scotland’s west coast.

A gust of 115 mph (185 kilometers per hour) was recorded on Cairngorm Summit in the Scottish Highlands. Wind warnings for up to 80 mph (128 kph) were in place in northern Scotland and up to 55 mph (88 kph) in northern England and Northern Ireland. There was also an ice and snow warning for the Shetland Islands, where schools were closed.

Gusts knocked down trees that blocked roads and struck power lines, causing blackouts to 40,000 households in northeast England, energy company Northern Powergrid said.

High winds toppled a truck on a highway in Manchester and tore part of the the roof off an apartment building in Sheffield.

The storm hit amid high holiday travel that is expected to peak Friday.

British Airways grounded two dozen flights, British broadcaster Sky News reported. A spokesperson for the airline did not provide further details but issued a statement saying it apologized to customers for having to “make some adjustments” to its schedule.

National Rail said speed restrictions for trains were in place across Scotland, and parts of England and Wales. ScotRail said it suspended service on some of its lines, and TransPennine Express asked train passengers to delay their journeys in and out of Edinburgh through most of the day.

Ferry operator CalMac canceled its service to 22 islands off the west coast of Scotland.

Breezes were expected to die down throughout the day in the U.K., but the storm was expected to bring strong winds to Denmark, northern Germany and Poland, the Met Office said.