Thousands of US flights cancelled, as winter storm Fern hits hard

A devastating winter storm named Fern has reportedly disrupted flight operations across the US, leading to the cancellation of thousands of flights.

As millions of Americans are gearing up for freezing temperatures, ice, and possibly power outages, the US authorities have labelled the storm as “historic.”

The Fern winter storm has also led to emergency declarations in many regions as the situation is continuously deteriorating.

On Saturday, over 4,000 US flights were cancelled, with an additional 9,400 flights scrapped for Sunday, according to data provided by FlightAware.

This hazardous weather has also left tens of thousands of passengers stranded at major airports in the US.

Prominent airlines, including Delta, United, and JetBlue, are said to be rescheduling their flights in advance due to safety concerns and operational challenges caused by icy runways and delays driven by de-icing.

Long queues, grounded aircraft, and crowded terminals were reported at airports throughout the Midwest and Southeast. This shows that travellers are facing difficulties in rebooking flights owing to rapidly changing weather conditions.

The storm Fern has left more than 160,000 customers without power, particularly affecting southern states that rarely witness freezing temperatures for such a prolonged period.

US President Donald Trump has approved federal emergency disaster declarations for 12 states, urging residents to be cautious.

Weather emergencies have been declared in seventeen states and Washington, DC, while the Department of Energy has authorised the deployment of emergency backup power in Texas to prevent blackouts at critical facilities like hospitals.