Over 1,500 flights cancelled as winter storm Devin hits US holiday travel

US Winter Storm Causes Widespread Disruptions to Air Travel and Weather Conditions

A winter storm named Devin has brought hazardous travel conditions to parts of the US Midwest and northeast, prompting warnings from the National Weather Service. As a result, thousands of flights have been cancelled or delayed across the country.

According to FlightAware, a leading flight tracking data company, 1,581 flights within, into, or out of the US were cancelled as of 4pm ET on Friday, while an additional 6,883 flights were delayed. The majority of these disruptions occurred at major airports in New York City, including John F Kennedy airport, Newark Liberty international airport, and LaGuardia airport.

The National Weather Service has issued winter storm warnings for over 40 million Americans, with flood or storm advisories also affecting an additional 30 million people in California. The state is experiencing heavy rain due to an atmospheric river, which has brought significant precipitation to the region.

New York City is bracing for up to 250mm of snow overnight on Friday, the most expected in four years. Temperatures are forecast to drop over the weekend as an Arctic blast moves into the area from Canada.

Airline carriers have also been affected by the storm, with JetBlue cancelling 225 flights on Friday, followed closely by Delta Air Lines with 212 cancellations. Other airlines, including Republic Airways and American Airlines, have also reported significant disruptions.

Source: Al Jazeera