Storm Ciara helps British Airways 747 to break trans-Atlantic subsonic record - Stuff.co.nz

Storm Ciara is battering the UK and northern Europe with hurricane-force winds and heavy rains, but it has also helped break a trans-Atlantic record.

A British Airways jet is thought to have made the fastest ever flight by a conventional airliner from New York to London.

The fierce winds propelled the Boeing 747 to make the 5632km trans-Atlantic journey from New York to London in just 4 hours and 56 minutes, landing 102 minutes early and reaching a top speed of 1327kmh, according to flight tracking website Flightradar24.

CNN reported that although the plane was apparently going faster than the speed of sound, "it would not have breached the sonic barrier because it was being pushed by the air around it".

FLIGHTRADAR

The winds from Storm Ciara helped break the trans-Atlantic subsonic record.

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Two Virgin Airlines flights also roared across the Atlantic, with all three smashing the previous subsonic New York-to-London record of 5 hours and 13 minutes, Flightradar24 reported. Meanwhile, flights that were going in the opposite direction were taking up to 120 minutes longer. 

Named by the UK Met Office weather agency, the storm brought massive gusts that hit 150kmh at the northern Welsh village of Aberdaron and 138kmh at the Welsh town of Capel Curig.

Storm surges ate away at beaches and pounded rock cliffs and cement docks. The Met Office issued 190 emergency flood warnings and urged people not to try to drive through flooded roads. Residents in the town of Appleby-in-Westmorland in northwest England battled to protect their homes amid severe flooding as the River Eden burst its banks.

Three people were injured after a pub roof partially collapsed Saturday evening (local time) in the city of Perth in central Scotland.

At least 10 rail companies in Britain sent out "do not travel" warnings, while nearly 20 others told passengers to expect extensive delays. The strong winds damaged electrical wires and littered train tracks with broken tree limbs and other debris, including a family trampoline.

London's Heathrow Airport and several airlines consolidated flights Sunday to reduce the number cancelled by heavy winds. British Airways 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 morning. The airline plans 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.

iSTOCK

The fierce winds propelled a British Airways Boeing 747 to land 102 minutes early, reaching a top speed of 1327kmh (file photo).

Brussels Airport also saw delays or cancellations.

Two huge ports on either side of the English Channel, Dover in England and Calais in France, shut down operations amid high waves. Ferries were cancelled across the region, including in the turbulent Irish Sea and North Sea.

The Humber Bridge in northern England also shut down, a move its website said was only the second time the massive bridge had been entirely closed.

Breaking with her usual Sunday routine, Queen Elizabeth II did not attend church in Sandringham due to high winds.

A cow was spotted on a main highway in southern England after high winds blew down fences.

Adding to the weather woes, heavy snow was predicted for Monday in some parts of the UK.

Owen Humphreys

A flooded street in Appleby-in-Westmorland.

In Ireland, power was knocked to an estimated 10,000 homes, farms and businesses. National weather agency Met Eireann warned that a combination of high tides, high seas and stormy conditions had created a significant risk of coastal flooding, particularly in the west and northwest.

Fierce winds knocked out electricity in northern France as well. Paris authorities sent out a warning to residents and tourists alike to stay indoors for their own safety. Parks and cemeteries in the city of Lille and nearby towns shut down as strong winds cracked heavy branches. Open-air markets closed early.

Jonathan Brady

Workmen clear up after tree fell on speed camera.

Luxembourg and the German city of Cologne announced that all school children could stay home Monday to avoid travelling under dangerous conditions.

In Germany, where the storm is known as "Sabine," national railway operator Deutsche Bahn cancelled long-distance trains to destinations most at risk, including Emden and Norddeich in Germany's northwestern corner, the northern city of Kiel and the North Sea island of Sylt.

"We have learned from previous storms that it's better not to have trains travel into critical regions in the first place," Deutsche Bahn spokesman Achim Stauss said. "What we want to avoid is trains getting stuck between stations."

Teams of railway employees fanned out with chainsaws to remove any fallen trees blocking the tracks.

Andrew Matthews

Waves crash into the wall at Newhaven south east England.

In Denmark, meteorologists warned about possible hurricane-force winds coming late Sunday, and flights were cancelled out of Copenhagen. Danish authorities warned motorists not to cross large bridges, including the Great Belt Bridge that links eastern and western parts of Denmark.

The storm was also expected to smash into southern Norway's coast and hit southern and western parts of Sweden.

In the world of sports, dozens of soccer games, horse races, rugby matches and other events were called off, including the Premier League match between Manchester City and West Ham. A 10-K run in London that was expected to draw 25,000 participants was also cancelled.

The Dutch football association called off all matches Sunday in the top-flight league due to safety concerns, as did Belgium's top two soccer leagues, the Jupiler Pro League and Proximus League. A German soccer league match between title challenger Borussia Moenchengladbach and Cologne was also put off.

Polly Thomas/Getty

Waves crash against the harbour wall in Porthcawl, Wales.

Yet in the Netherlands, an intrepid band of cyclists made the most of the wild conditions to take part in the Dutch Headwind Cycling Championships.

Using only basic bikes without gears, lightweight frames or drop handlebars, contestants rode a timed 8.5km course along the coast of southern Zeeland province. Blasted by winds, blinded by blowing sand from nearby beaches, the cyclists struggled to stay upright.

"I survived, but it's very tough," said Hans Deting, 56, his right hand dripping with blood after being blown off his bike.

"This is a bucket list thing," rider Edwin van Gaalen explained, as he leaned on his handlebars, gasping for breath after finishing.

Ultimately, the gale-force winds became too strong even for this macho event. Organisers brought the race to an early end after 250 of the 300 riders had finished.

 

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