British holidaymakers strap in for Hurricane Sandy

Tropical Storm Sandy is expected to reach hurricane status as it takes aim on the island of Jamaica.

Travel Insurance News - 25/10/2012

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Tropical Storm Sandy is expected to reach hurricane status as it takes aim on the island of Jamaica.

Reports said on Wednesday that all flights bound for the capital had been cancelled after Jamaican authorities closed Kingston International airport, whilst some flights leaving British airports for the resort of Montego Bay would leave earlier to beat the storm and bring some holidaymakers home.

A spokeswoman said on behalf of British Airways on Wednesday afternoon that flight BA2263 to Kingston had been cancelled and that all affected passengers were being rebooked on alternative flights. She added that a flight was scheduled to leave Montego Bay on Thursday and that the company “hoped” that it would be able to operate.

Meanwhile, several cruise ships headed for Jamaica cancelled dockings in the island’s popular ports, as meteorologists warned that Sandy is expected to strengthen as it heads northward.

Strong winds and heavy rains have been hitting the island for several days, bringing misery to Britons looking to take advantage of favourable rates on off-season packages.

The news comes just two years after the landfall of Tropical Storm Nicole, which killed six people in Jamaica, and nearly 15 years after Hurricane Gilbert, which went down in history as one of the worst storms ever to hit the island nation.

<< Passengers injured amid Glasgow airport plane evacuation | Travel News | Thousands of flights cancelled as Sandy eyes US east coast >>