Red Arrows cancel flypast amid thunderstorms

News imagePA Media Two Red Arrow planes move away from each other in the sky, one releasing blue smoke and the other red smoke. PA Media
The Red Arrows were due to fly over Sidmouth and Lyme Regis on Friday

The Red Arrows have been forced to cancel their planned flypast for Sidmouth Regatta due to poor weather conditions.

The RAF aerobatic team were due to appear over Sidmouth and Lyme Regis earlier this evening, weeks after being stranded in Canada due to bad weather.

In a statement, a spokesperson said thunderstorm conditions at the team's operating base in RAF Mildenhall had "temporarily prevented the take-off for the transit to Liverpool during which the two flypasts were planned".

They added: "Due to airspace restrictions, we are unable to delay the performance times indefinitely."

The jets had originally planned to perform an airshow display at the Sidmouth Regatta on Friday, but later said they would be switching to a flypast.

It was one of a number of changes the team made this week to accommodate "forecasted conditions and operational constraints" impacting which airfields they would be able to use.

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