What does a day of bad weather look like?

Dealing with bad weather is one of the most difficult things for air traffic controllers to manage.

Its unpredictable nature means aircraft aren’t able to fly their usual routes, resulting in unusual flight patterns that add hugely to the complexity of the airspace and the workload for each controller.

We’ve taken a day’s worth of flight data from 14 February 2014 to try and show you.

Why 14 February?

Far from being romantic, it remains one of the worst days of weather in the UK in recent years.

Heavy rain and severe gales lashed much of the country, with gusts of 60–70 mph widely recorded, and even 80–90 mph along the coasts.

In short, very difficult conditions to fly in.