Summer Storms Bring Travel Chaos to UK Airports

A severe thunderstorm has brought disruption to two of the UK's major airports, Heathrow and Gatwick, with hundreds of flights delayed or cancelled. The storms, which followed a prolonged heatwave, have caused significant travel chaos for passengers. Many have been left stranded on planes for hours, with some flights delayed by over six hours. The UK's air traffic control service has warned that the disruption is likely to continue throughout the day due to the severe weather forecast. Passengers have taken to social media to express their frustration, with one traveller reporting being stuck on a grounded plane at Heathrow from 7am until noon. Another passenger said their daughter had been sat on a plane at Gatwick for four hours. According to flight tracker FlightAware, at least 367 flights were delayed at Heathrow and 352 at Gatwick. Some travellers have been stuck abroad, with one passenger, Adam Joseph, telling the BBC that he had been stranded at Venice airport without air conditioning after his Gatwick-bound flight was delayed. Both British Airways and easyJet have issued statements apologising for the disruption and promising to help affected passengers. The airlines have blamed air traffic control restrictions caused by the adverse weather conditions for the delays and cancellations. The disruption has not been limited to Heathrow and Gatwick, with smaller airports such as Leeds Bradford and Edinburgh also experiencing delays. London City airport has also been affected, with a spokesperson saying that flights are gradually returning to normal after the morning's weather-related air traffic restrictions.