Four days before Christmas, hundreds of thousands of people have had their travel plans torn up as hundreds of trains, ferries and flights are cancelled due to Storm Pia.
The Met Office predicts gales of up to 80mph in some areas, with all of Scotland and large swathes of England set to be affected until Thursday evening.
In Scotland and northern England, some rail lines have been closed because of fears of obstructions being blown onto tracks. Elsewhere, speed restrictions are in place.
British Airways has cancelled at least 24 flights, with Scotland’s airline, Loganair, also grounding some services. Many ferries are also staying in port.
These are the key issues facing travellers.
Trains
Some railway lines in Scotland are closed completely due to Storm Pia. Even on stretches that are open, one operator is urging passengers not to attempt to make Anglo-Scottish journeys.
TransPennine Express is advising passengers not to try to travel in or out of Edinburgh until after 3pm, with no services running between Edinburgh and north west England until Thursday afternoon.
Network Rail Scotland is telling passengers: “We’ll suspend train services on some routes on Thursday until we can safely inspect our tracks for fallen trees and debris.
“Those lines are the West Highland Line (including lines to Oban and Mallaig), Kyle of Lochalsh Line, Far North Line and Inverness-Inverurie.
“Speed restrictions will also be in place across the Highland Mainline, as well as some central belt, south-west Scotland and cross-border routes.
“Our local maintenance teams are well prepared, with additional chainsaw gangs ready to clear fallen trees and extra staff on hand across the country.”
LNER is curtailing trains that would normally serve northern Scotland and says: “Some LNER services between Edinburgh and London Kings Cross will terminate or start at Newcastle.”
The train operator has lifted restrictions for tickets dated Thursday 21 December. Tickets are valid on LNER services throughout Thursday 21 December and Friday 22 December.
Northern warns of speed restrictions on a number of lines, adding 45 minutes to journeys.
Some trains on the West Coast main line, which connects London Euston with the West Midlands, northwest England, North Wales and southern Scotland, are experiencing long delays because of high winds.
In addition an Avanti West Coast…
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