Storm Hernando: Manchester Airport flights cancelled amid US travel chaos
Ground video from Manchester Airport captured activity as storm hernando forced cancellations across multiple UK hubs on Monday, February 23. The storm is causing hundreds of cancellations on that day as severe weather on the US east coast has already grounded thousands of services to and from the region.
Storm Hernando hits UK routes
Flights operating out of London Heathrow, London Gatwick, Manchester Airport, Edinburgh Airport and Dublin Airport have all been affected by the disruption. A total of 32 flights departing London Heathrow for JFK on Monday, February 23 have been cancelled, and inbound services from the American destination have also been grounded. Three direct flights from Manchester have likewise been affected.
Cancellations at Heathrow and JFK
The cancellations include both outbound and inbound services between the UK and key US airports. Flights serving JFK airport in New York, Newark airport in New Jersey and Boston airport are among those impacted. Travellers have been urged to get in touch with their airlines for the most recent information and passengers are advised to check with their carriers before travelling.
Edinburgh and Manchester disruption
In Scotland, 35 flights departing Edinburgh have had the second leg of their journey cancelled and Edinburgh Airport halted flights due to the storm. Dublin Airport said: "Due to adverse weather (Storm Hernando) on the east coast of the US, airlines have cancelled a number of flights due to operate to/from Dublin Airport on Monday. " Dublin Airport confirmed that carriers had axed seven departing and six arriving flights thus far because of the tempest.
East Coast US impacts and warnings
Millions of people in New York City and a large swathe of the US north-east were stuck at home under road travel bans and blizzard warnings on Monday as the massive snow storm pummelled the region. Snow fell at a rate of more than two inches an hour on Monday from New York through to Massachusetts, and some areas witnessed more than a foot of snow since Sunday. Wind gusts of more than 30mph and low visibility were reported in parts of the affected area. Long Island MacArthur Airport recorded 20 inches of snow as of Monday morning, while Freehold in New Jersey had 19 inches.
Travel bans, outages and emergency measures
Mobile phones across New York City received alerts on Sunday night announcing a ban on non-emergency travel on all streets through to noon on Monday because of "dangerous blizzard conditions". Rhode Island and New Jersey implemented similar restrictions. Blizzard warnings stretched from Maryland to Maine and the weather service called travel conditions "nearly impossible. " Emergencies were declared in New York, Philadelphia and other cities, and in several states stretching from Delaware to Massachusetts.
Scale of disruption and storm definition
More than 5, 000 flights in and out of the United States were cancelled for Monday as the system battered the north-east, with the highest concentrations of cancellations in New York, New Jersey and Boston. Storm-related power outages plunged more than 500, 000 customers into darkness along the east coast on Monday, including more than 212, 000 customers in Massachusetts and 128, 000 customers in New Jersey.
The National Weather Service warned: "A major winter storm is expected to bring heavy snow, strong winds, and coastal flooding across the Mid-Atlantic and north-east that may cause impossible travel conditions and power outages. " The weather service also said: "The combination of heavy snowfall and strong winds will continue to produce blizzard conditions along the north-eastern seaboard, " and warned that "sharply reduced visibility will make travel extremely treacherous across these areas. " The weather service referred to the system as a "classic bomb cyclone"; a bomb cyclone is when a storm drops at least 24 millibars in pressure in 24 hours.
A man on cross-country skis was pictured travelling through Central Park on February 23, 2026 in New York City, underlining the severity of conditions on that date.
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Storm hernando has therefore produced disruption both transatlantically and at UK airports, with cancellations, travel bans and power outages affecting large parts of the north-east US and creating knock-on effects for services at Heathrow, Gatwick, Manchester, Edinburgh and Dublin.
