The epicenter of the extreme weather will be over northwestern Europe with some ferry, train and flight services already cancelled.
Meteorologists have warned that extreme weather is expected to hit northwestern Europe in the coming days.
Storm Ciarán could hit northern France and the British Isles with winds of up to 150 km/h and very high waves. This so-called “weather bomb” was created by the collision between the Atlantic jet stream and a low pressure system descending from northern Europe.
The epicenter of this extreme weather is likely to be in the UK and France with some ferry, train and flight services already canceled on Wednesday 1 and Thursday 2 November ahead of the storm.
Some travel operators say the disruption could continue until Friday.
Will ferries be canceled due to Storm Ciarán?
Ferry services may experience disruption due to strong winds and very high waves in the English Channel.
DFDS Ferries has now canceled all sailings between the UK and France from late Wednesday evening until Friday morning.
Brittany Ferries has also warned passengers of potential disruption on its cross-Channel routes.
“Weather-related delays and/or cancellations may occur on Wednesday, November 1 and (particularly) Thursday, November 2,” he told travellers.
“We will continue to closely monitor the forecast over the next 24 hours. If your browsing is affected, we will contact you as soon as possible via email or SMS. We ask that you do not contact us by phone, as call volume is expected to be high.”
Condor Ferries has canceled passenger routes between the Channel Islands and the UK on Wednesday and Thursday. The operator also expects inconveniences routes across the Channel.
Will trains be canceled due to Storm Ciarán?
French rail operator SNCF has warned passengers to expect cancellations and disruption due to Storm Ciarán.
“In anticipation of the strong winds that will blow in the north-west of France and to ensure the safety of travellers, many trains will not run,” it says.
TER services in Brittany Normandy, Hauts-de-France, Pays de Loire and Center Val de Loire have been cancelled, but some TGV services may still be running. The SNCF said so high speed Paris-Rennes and Paris-Lille services will continue to operate.
The best way to check if your train is at risk of being hit by the storm is on SNCF Connect website.
In the UK, National Rail warned that “heavy rain accompanied by strong winds” will impact travel across Wales and southern England on Wednesday and Thursday. Some trains in Cornwall have been canceled and speed restrictions have been introduced on coastal routes in southern England.
Nine operators in regions likely to be affected are allowing passengers with travel booked on Thursday 2 November to travel on Wednesday or Friday instead. They are C2C, CrossCountry, Gatwick Express/Southern/Thameslink, Great Western Railway, Southeastern, South Western Railway and Transport for Wales.
Rail operator LNER has also warned of service disruptions until at least 4 November.
“We strongly advise customers to avoid traveling on Thursday 2 November and Friday 3 November,” he said.
“Some LNER trains will run but there is likely to be serious disruption, including serious delays, short notice cancellations and overcrowding.”
Eurostar told AFP it expected disruptions or slowdowns and advised passengers to delay journeys scheduled for Thursday.
Will flights be canceled due to Storm Ciarán?
In the Channel Islands, Jersey Airport will close to all passenger flights on Thursday with plans to reopen on Friday following an inspection of its infrastructure. Guernsey and Alderney airports will also close on Thursday.
Several airlines have warned of the potential delays across Ireland and the UK on Wednesday and Thursday, including easyJet and Ryanair. Passengers are advised to check flight updates before heading to the airport.
Quimper Airport a BrittanyFrance will also close on Wednesday morning for 24 hours and Brest Airport will close from 5pm on Wednesday until 9.30am on Thursday.
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