Travellers warned of disruption over bank holiday weekend as Storm Lilian hits
Leeds Festival issues statement urging festivalgoers to "stay in your tents" amid strong winds, Pablo Taylor reports
Bank holiday travellers have been warned of possible disruption to their journey's this weekend amid the arrival of Storm Lilian.
Millions of leisure trips by car are estimated to be made, according to the RAC, while tens of thousands of people are anticipated to descend on Reading and Leeds Festival, and Creamfields Festival, in Cheshire.
National Highways has lifted more than 500 miles of roadworks between Friday and Tuesday, August 27, in anticipation of what is expected to be the busiest weekend for travel this year.
Dozens of flights, meanwhile, have been cancelled, with several airlines issuing delays for others due to take off on Friday.
It comes as Storm Lilian is forecast to hit parts of the country with up to 70mph winds and heavy rains.
Lilian marks the 12th named weather system of the season and is the first time the UK's storm-naming alphabet has reached the letter L.
Met Office issues Yellow weather warning across parts of the UK
The Met Office has issued a yellow weather warning for rain on Saturday from 6am to 1pm across London, South East and East of England.
The forecaster warned "heavy rain may cause travel disruption and localised flooding" across the South East.
A yellow wind warning has also been issued covering northern England and north Wales from 5am to 11am on Friday, with the storm widely expected to bring gusts of 50-60mph in the region.
Festivals halt performances amid strong winds
Organisers of Leeds Festival confirm the BBC Radio 1 stage and the Aux stage will not reopen for the duration of the festival due to safety concerns.
It comes after strong winds closed the music festival this morning with festival-goers urged to "stay in your tents".
On X, Reading and Leeds Festival said: "Unfortunately the health and safety team have now confirmed we will not be able use the BBC Radio 1 tent & stage tomorrow or Sunday.
"We are devastated for you and of course the artists that were eager to play."That is the same for the Aux stage too. Mother nature has played her part."On the positive side, we are able to be reasonably sure the Chevron will be fit to play tomorrow and will be opened by The Useless Hotline at midday."
By the afternoon, the Festival announced the arena would reopen in the afternoon ahead of Liam Gallagher's headline gig but said confirmed stages will stay closed.
On X, Reading and Leeds Festival said: “We’re pleased to say the arena is now open with the first live act, Bru-C, on the main stage at 3.10pm.
“The Chevron, BBC Radio 1 & Aux stage will remain closed for today, and the BBC Introducing Stage will continue as normal from around 3pm."
"Everybody can see and feel that we're suffering from the winds currently," the statement read.
"We're urging you to stay in your tents if you are onsite and feel safe to do so. If you are in your car, please remain there. If you are not yet at the festival site, please delay your arrival."
In Cheshire, the start to Creamfields Festivals was delayed due to the storm where acts Calvin Harris and Chase & Status were due to play.
Flights, trains and roads severely affected
Motorists could have their journeys disrupted as the busy bank holiday weekend along with the weather could bring heavier traffic on the roads.
Some 19.2 million leisure trips by car will be made over the weekend, with 3.2 million on Friday alone, the RAC has estimated.
The number is the highest since the motoring services company began recording data for the summer bank holiday in 2015.
RAC Breakdown spokeswoman Alice Simpson said the adverse weather and large volume of expected trips represented "a perfect storm" for drivers.
She said: "Anyone driving in areas impacted by Storm Lilian should try to avoid exposed coasts and higher routes where there’s a greater chance of fallen branches and trees.
"It's vital to lower your speeds and leave plenty of extra stopping distance to allow yourself time to react quickly.
"Drivers should keep a firm grip on the steering wheel and take extra care when passing high-sided vehicles which can cause an unnerving buffeting effect when you’re suddenly hit by the wind on the other side."
British Airways (BA) cancelled 16 flights scheduled to take off from Heathrow on Friday and delayed others, according to the airline's website.
The cancellations include international flights to Italy, Switzerland and the US as well as domestic journeys to Scotland and Northern Ireland.
A BA spokesperson said the airline had "apologised to our customers for the disruption to their travel plans and to help get them to their destinations as quickly as possible".
Elsewhere, two flights from Leeds Bradford Airport were cancelled on Friday, while three morning arrivals were diverted to Liverpool, the airport's website said.
Network Rail has urged passengers to check before travelling with their rail provider if their journey has been affected.
East Midlands Railway and London North Eastern Railway (LNER) were among the rail providers that reported service cancellations on Friday morning.
A Network Rail spokeswoman said: "We are closely monitoring the potential impact that the storm might have on the rail network.
"We have teams on hand to put in appropriate measures, if necessary, to ensure that we can continue to run trains safely and as reliably as possible."
Have you heard our new podcast Talking Politics? Tom, Robert and Anushka dig into the biggest issues dominating the political agenda in every episode…