forced

MORE European airports have temporarily closed due to icy weather conditions.

Three major travel hubs were forced to shut earlier today, while a fourth operated “restricted” services.

“Adverse weather conditions” led to the brief closure of airports in Vienna, Austria, Budapest in Hungary, and Bratislava in Slovakia.

Runways in Vienna closed temporarily due to a thick layer of ice, which reportedly kept refreezing.

“Due to current weather conditions, disruptions to flights to and from Vienna are expected on January 13, 2026,” a statement on the airport’s website read.

Meanwhile, Budapest Airport revealed in a post on X that there were “increased safety risks caused by black ice and extreme icing”.

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“Due to the adverse weather conditions, and similarly to several airports in Central Europe, a temporary airport closure has been implemented at Budapest Ferenc Liszt International Airport,” the update read.

After a brief closure, Bratislava reopened at 11.15am local time this morning, advising passengers that delays would continue as a result.

Meanwhile, Václav Havel Airport in Prague continued to operate in a “restricted mode” despite “intense freezing rain”.

“As of 11:00, the number of permitted arrivals has been increased from 2 to 6 per hour due to de-icing operations and to ensure the operational readiness of runways and other airside areas,” a statement read.

“Safety of flight operations, passengers, and employees remains the top priority.

Air passengers travelling to or from any of the above hubs have been advised to follow the latest updates from their airport and airline.

The disruptions are the latest caused by harsh weather conditions, with British tourists stranded in Finland’s Lapland after flights were cancelled due to the severe cold on Monday, 12 January.

Flights to London, Manchester, Paris, and Amsterdam were axed as temperatures at Kittila Airport plummeted to nearly -40C.

ONE of Europe’s busiest airports has cancelled hundreds more flights as chaos enters its sixth day.

A major snow warning has resulted in the cancellations at Amsterdam‘s Schiphol Airport since the weekend.

According to local media, another 718 flights have been cancelled today with fears of another 10cm of snow across the country.

The airport stated: “On Wednesday, due to persistent winter weather and heavy winds, only limited air traffic is possible to and from Schiphol.

“More cancellations are expected. This will be mostly European flights.”

The majority of flights from the UK have been cancelled to Schiphol Airport today, affecting as many as 60 inbound and outbound flights.

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This affects routes from London airports, as well as Manchester, Birmingham, Bristol, Edinburgh and Glasgow.

The few that are still in operation are expected to be severely delayed.

Passengers have been left stranded at the airport for days, due to the ongoing cancellations.

On Monday, the airport cancelled 450 flights, affecting arrivals and departures.

And yesterday, another 455 flights were cancelled as well.

As many as a thousand passengers were thought to have slept at the airport overnight, due to visa issues preventing many from leaving.

One woman said has been left stuck at the airport since Sunday.

She explained: “Yesterday morning, we were sent away again. We ended up coming back.

“And we’ve been waiting here ever since. We had to sleep here, too.”

Most trains to and from the airport have been cancelled.

And Eurostar trains have also been affected, with two of the five planned routes from London to Amsterdam cancelled today.

Others are offering a limited service with passengers not able to join at some stops.

Desperate travellers have been forced to find alternative routes home.

One said on social media: “We got a ferry from Rotterdam to Hull last night.”

Another said: “I got a taxi to Brussels for €500 and getting on a flight to London.”

A third added: “Decided to book Flixbus from Amsterdam to London.”

Sadly, passengers won’t be able to claim compensation for any losses due to the weather being seen as an ‘extraordinary circumstance’.

Airlines must offer either a full refund or book you on the next available flight.

If stuck overnight, hotels and food vouchers must also be offered.

Flights at Liverpool Airport were also axed this week after the airport was forced to close.

PART of a popular beach in the UK has been forced to close due to safety fears.

An ‘active and ongoing landslip’ has resulted in huge boulders falling from the cliffs on Monmouth Beach.

The beach – part of the 95-mile Jurassic Coast in Dorset – has since closed off sections to the public.

Anyone in the area has been warned to avoid the area, with it currently cordoned off.

The Lyme Regis Coastguard said: “Large boulders have been falling from the top of the cliff and have been rolling down onto the beach and into the water.

“Consequently, the beach area immediately near the base of the slip has been closed to the public.”

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“We strongly advise all members of the public to stay well clear of this area.

“Do not attempt to climb the slip or walk near the base of the affected cliffs.

Fossil-hunters have also been told that the boulders are unlikely to contain any new fossils.

This is because the area is known for its historic dinosaur remains, dating back thousands of years.

And dog walkers have been urged to keep them on leads and to keep them away from the base of the cliffs.

The coastguard added: “The cliffs along the Jurassic Coast are naturally unstable and can crumble without warning.”

“Please respect the closures and signage in place for your own and others safety.

“In an emergency at the coast, call 999 and ask for the coastguard.”

Back in 2021, the cliffs saw its biggest landslide in decades after 4,000 tonnes of rock fell onto the beach.

Landslides can be triggered by a number of factors including intense rainfall in a short period of time.

Despite this, most of the Jurassic Coast is seen as still safe to visit.

One of the most famous sections is Durdle Door, home to the famous rock arch.

Often compared to both Portugal and California, it was even named one of the world’s must-see beaches by National Geographic last year.

Here’s where to find the UK’s longest seaside town, also on the Jurassic Coast.

MULTIPLE flights from a major UK airport have been cancelled after a blanket of snow covered the tarmac.

Holidaymakers have been left devastated after the runway at Liverpool John Lennon Airport was closed off this morning.

Airport staff are currently trying to clear the area of snow and ice.

In a statement, a spokesperson for the airport said flights are subject to delay and there have been some cancellations due to the “wintry weather conditions”.

They added: “If you are traveling today please check with your airline for the latest information.”

The airport added that a further update would be provided at 10am.

HUNDREDS of flights at a major European airport have been cancelled due to snow and freezing temperatures.

Amsterdam Schiphol Airport, in the Netherlands, is a major hub for Brits both travelling to Europe and connecting to long-haul flights.

And the airport has cancelled 450 flights today due to the weather conditions.

The Dutch news agency ANP also warned that this number was expected to rise throughout the day.

Hundreds of Brits are being affected by the cancellations as well, with routes to and from the UK also cancelled.

This includes the following departures from Schiphol:

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• 7:10am KLM flight to London City
• 7:20am KLM flight to London Heathrow
• 7:45am easyJet flight to London Stansted
• 8:05am British Airways flight to London City
• 9am easyJet flight to London Gatwick
• 9:25am easyJet flight to London Luton
• 9:30am KLM flight to London City
• 9:50am easyJet flight to Manchester
• 10:15am British Airways flight to London Heathrow
• 10:20am KLM flight to London Heathrow
• 10:30am easyJet flight to Bristol
• 12:30pm KLM flight to Manchester
• 12:35pm KLM flight to Birmingham
• 1:30pm KLM flight to London Heathrow
• 2:10pm British Airways flight to London Heathrow
• 3:45pm KLM flight to London Heathrow
• 4:20pm British Airways flight to London City
• 6:30pm British Airways flight to London Heathrow
• 8:35pm KLM flight to London Heathrow

Due to the cancellations of flights to the UK, this means most flights from the UK to Amsterdam have been cancelled or are majorly delayed this morning.

And with short-haul aircraft carrying between 150-200 passengers, it means thousands of Brits will be affected.

KLM, the Dutch flag carrier, is worst affected by the cancellations.

They said in a statement online: “Due to ongoing winter weather, air traffic at Schiphol is disrupted.

“Since last Friday, KLM has unfortunately had to cancel hundreds of flights to and from Schiphol.

“The winter conditions are expected to continue in the coming days.”

The airline has already cancelled 300 flights and said this number is expected to rise.

Brits are urged to contact their airline before travelling to see if their flight is still going ahead.

If it is cancelled, airlines must rebook you on the next available flight, even if it is with another airline.

If you accept a refund from the airline, they no longer have a duty of care when it comes to alternative flights or hotels.

And due to weather conditions being ‘out of airline control,’ you also won’t be able to claim compensation for any delays.

Schiphol Airport already cancelled nearly 300 flights yesterday as well.

And flights were cancelled across Greece over the weekend after the airspace was forced to close.

The closure was due to unspecified issues affecting radio frequencies, resulting in chaos across the country.

MADE In Chelsea star Louise Thompson was forced to spend Christmas Eve in hospital amid her ongoing health battle, she has revealed.

The reality star, 35, has faced several health challenges including ulcerative colitis, lupus, and PTSD after giving birth to her son, Leo.

She had to previously undergo the removal of her entire large intestine (colon) due to her inflammatory bowel condition, which resulted in her getting her life-saving stoma bag.

But on Christmas Eve, Louise revealed she had spent a large chunk of time in hospital having a procedure.

Louise underwent a proctoscopy, which, according to the NHS, is an examination where an endoscopist looks directly at the anal canal with a small rigid proctoscope.

Taking to her Instagram page to reveal her hospital visit and explain what she had done, Louise shared some snaps in a gown.

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“Looks dramatic but it wasn’t. I had a proctoscopy today. It’s like a colonoscopy but not as invasive because I don’t have a colon so there isn’t very far the camera can go,” she penned over the first slide.

“Still bloody awkward and a tiny bit uncomfortable but fentanyl is a wonder drug,” she penned.

She then shared a photo of her with a nasal cannula on her face and inserted into her nostrils.

Louise went on to pen: “These appointments are so important and they managed to fit me in quite urgently so I jumped at the offering of a 24th December date, then when it came around I realised the magnitude of it being Christmas Eve.

“What it REALLY made me think was…

“Despite all the chaos of what I’ve been through, I still think we are incredibly lucky to have the NHS which NEVER clocks off in case of emergencies.”

She then added on the next slide: “The NHS never sleeps.

“I had a proctoscope today.

“A nice little Christmas Eve camera up my bum.

“The NHS was still running in full swing. Well not quite, but you know what I mean.

“It prompted me to say a big thank you to everyone that is working as part of the NHS over the bank holidays.”

She then concluded: “Thanks for keeping the country ticking along and for keeping our loved ones alive.”

Reasons for getting a proctoscopy include bleeding from your anus, pain in the lower abdomen (tummy), persistent diarrhoea or changes to your bowel habits.

Consumer group Which? claims passengers are being wrongly fined for having cabin bags that airport staff say are too big

An easyJet passenger has described how she successfully fought the budget airline after being fined for having an oversized bag.

Louise Machin says she was “dismayed and confused” when staff working for easyJet slapped her with a €58 (£51) fee when she flew back from Chania Airport in Crete. Staff told her it was because her suitcase was too big, despite her checking the dimensions carefully in advance.

EasyJet refunded the money when she went as far as contacting the case manufacturer on her return, to prove it met the airline’s requirements.

Yet Ms Machin, 59, from Crystal Palace, south London, is far from alone in being wrongly hit with oversize cabin bag fines when they are not at fault. Consumer group Which? says travellers are being caught out because of what it says are issues with the official bag sizers in some airports.

Customers of no-frills carriers have got used to double checking the dimensions of bags or cases they are allowed to take on board. But most airports also have devices at the check-in desk or boarding gate to hammer home the rules.

Ms Machin, who works as a freelance film and TV sales director and a project manager, was caught out when she travelled to Crete in April this year. She was on a walking holiday with friends and paid almost £268 for the flights and £94 return for the overhead cabin bags.

She was not asked about the size of the case on the way out, and didn’t think anymore about it given the checks she had done. But as she arrived for the flight home after a five day break, a member of ground staff employed by a third party company challenged her at check-in. When she insisted it complied, and even asked for tape measure to prove it, she says the person replied “this isn’t a DIY shop”.

Married Ms Machin went on: “I had successfully travelled out from London Gatwick five days before and it had fitted into the luggage sizer there with no problem. I had also checked it with the easyJet digital sizing tool prior to travel.” She concluded that the only explanation was that the sizer at Chania Airport was smaller than the size allowed.

“I tried to explain this to the ground staff, that my bag was compliant and that it seemed to me that their luggage sizer was too small,” she says. “But they were very aggressive and told me that if I didn’t pay on the spot, I would not be able to travel home. It was a threatening environment, and they wouldn’t listen to me. I felt like I was going mad because I knew my bag was the right size. I was forced to make the payment so that I could travel home.”

On her return, she contacted the manufacturer of her bag – Cabin Max- which confirmed her bag complied with easyJet’s size restrictions.

Which? says it is not the first time Cabin Max had been contacted about airlines fining its customers. One issue appears to be on the bag sizer where the metal sides are further in than they should be, meaning luggage that would normally fit easily is rejected, and passengers face a penalty.

Armed with Cabin Max’s response, Ms Machin went back to easyJet and it agreed to refund her.

Which? says it has heard of other airlines wrongly fining passengers for similar reasons, with bags that have been on any number of low-cost flights suddenly deemed to be oversized. More common is that a handle or strap is a couple of millimetres outside the sizer cage and that is enough for a fine. It comes after Ryanair increased the bonus paid to staff for every oversized bag they catch .

Which? advises anybody who feels they have been wrongly charged a fee at the gate – but feels confident that their bag is the right size – to appeal.

EasyJet refunded the fine despite insisting that more recent checks had not found a fault with the sizers at Chania Airport.

Its statement in full said: “EasyJet’s bag sizers are standardised across all airports to meet our cabin bag dimensions and we do not see a wider issue with sizer damage, as we have procedures to ensure this is reported by our ground crew to ensure they are removed and fixed. We will always review any feedback from our customers on a case by case basis, and so when Ms Machin raised this with us we apologised for her experience and provided her with a refund.”