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Spain halts arrivals from UK as number of countries banning Brits continues to grow

More than 40 countries have now banned flights from the UK - with Spain the latest to close its borders to British travellers.

The Manc The Manc - 21st December 2020
Wikimedia Commons

More than 40 countries have now banned Brits from entering – with Spain the latest to close its borders to travellers.

The Spanish government confirmed it would not allow people from the UK to enter the country from Tuesday 22 December unless they were Spanish citizens or residents.

Madrid confirmed it would reinforce controls at the border with Gibraltar to ensure compliance.

Dozens of countries have announced travel bans today following the revelation that a new, more contagious COVID variant is spreading in Britain.

These include Hong Kong, India, Belgium, Canada, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Portugal, Romania, Russia and Switzerland.

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On Sunday, France closed its borders with the UK for 48 hours – stopping lorries, flights and ferries – but has since said it will aim “to ensure movement from the UK can resume”.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson held an emergency meeting on Monday morning as more countries cut themselves off from the UK.

He will address the nation this evening with an update at 5pm.

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Met Office gives verdict on how Storm Boelo aftermath will affect Greater Manchester this week

Emily Sergeant Emily Sergeant Double weather warning issued for Greater Manchester today

Storm Boelo is finally on his way out, and now the Met Office has given its verdict on what we can expect from the rest of the week.

In the aftermath of two successive storms, Storm Austen followed by Storm Boelo – the latter of which affected Greater Manchester – the UK is now able to begin recovering from the effects of the adverse weather.

But the Met Office has warned that, although there is no named storm, strong winds and heavy rain will continue to affect parts of the UK early this week, before high pressure brings calmer conditions.

Yellow national severe weather warnings are in place for parts of Scotland and western areas of the UK today (Tuesday 27 October), including areas of the North West, as gales and spells of rain bring the potential for ongoing disruption around the region, particularly on exposed coasts and higher ground.

“The continued winds could hamper recovery efforts in some places,” forecasters also unfortunately confirmed.

As rest of the week pans out though, conditions will begin to settle down and showers are expected to become ‘less frequent’, while winds also ease for most, although gales could continue for a time in the far north. 

Thursday is expected be ‘largely dry’ with lighter winds and variable cloud, with a touch of mist and fog likely across parts of England and Wales during the morning.

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From Friday and into the weekend, light rain will team up to potentially affect northwestern areas of England, but for the most part, temperatures are expected to remain close to, or slightly above, average for the time of year.

“From Wednesday, high pressure will start to build which will ease the winds and bring a quieter and largely drier end to the week for many, although some rain is still possible in the North and West,” explained Met Office Deputy Chief Forecaster, Steven Keates.

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“However, with wind warnings in place, those in warnings areas, particularly in northern Scotland and western high ground, continue to be exposed to strong winds and heavy rain before the more settled weather arrives.”

Featured Image – The Manc Group

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Popular pumpkin patch attraction describes ‘catastrophic’ impact of Storm Boelo

Daisy Jackson Daisy Jackson Popular pumpkin patch attraction Bates Farm describes 'catastrophic' impact of Storm Boelo

Bates Farm, one of the most popular pumpkin patch attractions in the North West, has shared its heartbreak after Storm Boelo forced its closure on the busiest day of the season.

The Warrington-based family farm said the financial impact has been ‘honestly catastrophic’, after they had to cancel all tickets for Sunday.

Sisters Ali and Fiona Wilshaw, who run the farm, said it was simply not safe to allow members of the public onto the farm in the storm, with ‘crazy’ gusts of wind.

They later shared a video that showed their marquee was badly damaged and many footpaths turned to deep mud.

The sisters said they were ‘heartbroken’ to have to close at such a busy time, but stressed to followers that ‘your safety and our integrity will always come first’.

On Saturday, as Storm Austen and Storm Boelo chased each other across the UK, several people shared videos of themselves getting battered by the weather at Bates Farm.

And it’s pretty clear from that why Ali and Fi decided to cancel all tickets and close for the day on Sunday.

They wrote: “We have put in so much love, energy and investment putting on this event at this scale. The cost to cancel and refund everyone today on our busiest day of the season is honestly catastrophic, but business aside, your safety and our integrity will always come first.

“To think last night we were running round Tesco trying to stock up on milk and now we are in the depths of recovering the site to go again tomorrow. All emails and enquiries are being responded to as quickly as possible and we are doing our best to open up more available slots next week.

“We are being tested like never before, but pulling together in true force. Huge shout out to the whole team and Farmer Fi the absolute queen in any crisis.

“Thank you all for your patience and especially thank you to those who have sent such kind words and support, we are so grateful to have customers like you.

“We will be back tomorrow to enjoy the remaining of this tough season, we are putting in so many provisions with wood chip paths, undercover seating and an indoor barn to make your visit as enjoyable as possible. Ali & Fi.”

Anyone who had tickets to visit Bates Farm on Sunday will be refunded, and can book in for another date.

Bates Farm has safely reopened its autumnal experience and pumpkin patch today.

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Featured image: The Manc Group

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