Climate change could bring more disruption to Europe's busy skies
Severe thunderstorms in June caused chaos at London's Heathrow and Gatwick airports, delaying around 900 flights. Experts warn climate change may make such disruptions more frequent, though opinions differ on how serious the risk is.
In late June, during a heatwave gripping the UK, powerful thunderstorms developed over southern England and much of northern Europe. On a busy Saturday at the start of the holiday season, thousands of passengers were heading to London's Heathrow and Gatwick airports. As air traffic controllers struggled to route planes around the storms, airspace became congested and many aircraft were held on the ground. In total, about 900 flights to and from the two airports were delayed, some by as much as 11 hours, while dozens more were cancelled.
Industry figures see the incident as a warning sign. Tim Atkinson, an airline risk consultant and former pilot, says the crowded skies over the UK and northern Europe leave the region particularly exposed, warning that storms could one day affect all of London's airports simultaneously, with serious consequences in the air and on the ground. Not everyone agrees the risk is high, however — aviation consultant Andrew Charlton believes the industry is well equipped to handle such worst-case scenarios.
Why storms may intensify
Thunderstorms form through convection, when moist air near the ground heats rapidly and rises. For every degree of warming, the atmosphere can hold roughly 7% more moisture, raising the likelihood of heavy rain. It remains unclear whether storm frequency will rise overall, but research suggests conditions favourable for storms will increase at higher latitudes, and storms that do occur may be more intense.
Pilots generally avoid flying through thunderstorms because of the risk of dangerous turbulence and hail damage. Unplanned diversions often occur late in a flight, increasing fuel use and potentially raising ticket prices. Clear-air turbulence, which cannot be seen, is also becoming more common — researchers at the University of Reading point to possible doubling or tripling of severe turbulence incidents on busy routes.
Rising sea levels pose another threat, putting coastal airports such as New York's LaGuardia at greater risk of flooding. Airports are already investing in mitigation measures, including better weather forecasting and infrastructure upgrades, to reduce future disruption.
