Thunderstorms ahead of the heatwave in the UK caused chaos at Bristol Airport (BRS) on June 22. The extreme weather disrupted operations at the airport, resulting in a temporary closure and major disturbances for those working and travelling.
Weather Warning
On Monday, June 22, extreme weather paused standard operations at BRS, which was forced to temporarily close as thunderstorms interfered with communication systems and air traffic controls. Inbound flights were left no choice but to circle in holding patterns or divert to alternative airfields as a result of the disruption.
An amber weather warning from the Met Office was issued for Monday, June 22, between 5 p.m. and 9 p.m. across several regions, including parts of the East of England, London, South East England, and South West England. The announcement warned of heavy lightning strikes and heavy rain in the locations mentioned and potential impacts on people and infrastructure.
Disruptions at BRS were first reported by Inrix, a traffic monitoring site, at 6.53 p.m. on Monday evening. The site reported that all flights had been grounded due to flash thunderstorms. The airport was then closed because the extreme weather had damaged the ground radar and communication systems, preventing normal operations.
On the airport’s website, a statement was released:
“Following the earlier electrical storm, Bristol Airport remains closed to arriving and departing aircraft whilst engineers investigate a fault with Air Traffic Control systems. Customers should contact their airline with any specific flight queries.”
Operations Resume, with Disruptions Expected
Five flights, which totalled around 850 passengers, were diverted from BRS to London Gatwick Airport (LGW) during the closure, with British budget carrier easyJet reportedly providing coaches back to Bristol to ensure those travelling eventually reached their intended destination.
The Aviation News UK Airport Operations Monitor, an independent aviation tracker that serves as a real-time update board for UK airport operational information, kept the public updated on developments at BRS. At around 2:40 a.m. BST on Tuesday, June 23, it was reported that some arrivals were beginning to resume at BRS, with arrivals regulated at a reduced recovery rate until 4 a.m. UTC (5 a.m. BST). The site emphasised that the knock-on effect of this closure would be steady disruption for at least the following day.
Although operations have continued, Bristol Airport emphasised passengers should contact their airline and double-check for delays or disruptions to their journey before they travel, as a result of the chaos caused.
Were you impacted by the thunderstorms or the temporary closure of Bristol Airport? Let us know in the comments.
