Florida Flight Cancellations: Winter Storm Hernando Hits UK travellers On Indirect Routes To Disney World

UK holidaymakers heading to Florida for their Disney World and Universal trip via US connections are facing widespread disruption today after Winter Storm Hernando forced major airlines to suspend operations at key New York and Boston airports. This is triggering a knock-on wave of cancellations across transatlantic and onward Florida flights.

The biggest risk for UK passengers is not Florida's weather, which is cold again, but the Winter Storm on the East Coast causing missed connections and rebooking bottlenecks through storm-hit hubs such as JFK, LaGuardia and Newark.

Airports in the UK, including London Heathrow, (LHR), London Gatwick, (LGW), and Manchester, (MAN), have all cancelled flights today in response to the adverse weather conditions caused by Storm Hernando. If you have chosen indirect flights for your Florida trip to Disney World, this will cause a knock-on to your whole itinerary.

Number of UK Flights Cancelled Today

Major UK airports have cancelled flights today, (23rd February 2026), because of the impact of Winter Storm Hernando:

What's Happening

US-wide cancellations are surging as the weather conditions deteriorate with the storm. Flight disruption trackers and major outlets report more than 5,300 flights have been cancelled in, out of, or within the US as the storm peaks, with further knock-on expected.

The London Heathrow to New York route has been heavily affected, which is bad news for any UK travellers heading to Disney World on an indirect flight through New York. UK reporting says more than 30 flights between Heathrow and JFK were cancelled on today, with wider impacts across the UK and Ireland.

Connecting flights from New York and Boston airports are also impacted with many planes grounded. 103.5 KTU shared the following impacts to their Facebook community in the last few hours:

• “Over 5,500 flights cancel[l]ed as of 6:30AM Monday, mostly in the Northeast

• More than 500 cancellations each at JFK and LaGuardia

• Over 400 at Newark and Boston Logan

• More than 300 at Philadelphia

• 15% of all U.S. departures canceled, a normal day is around 1%

• Around 90% of LaGuardia’s schedule wiped out

• More than 90% cancel[l]ed in Boston

• Over 80% cancel[l]ed at Newark and Philly

• Tuesday already looking rough, about 40% of flights cancel[l]ed at JFK, LaGuardia, and Boston”

US carriers are continuing to publish storm updates indicating suspended or reduced operations at New York and Boston hubs well into Tuesday 24 February. This is going to continue to impact UK connections.

What Is Winter Storm Hernando?

Winter Storm Hernando is a powerful Nor'easter currently centred over New England and the Mid-Atlantic, that has rapidly intensified into a bomb cyclone as it moves up the U.S. East Coast. Bringing a combination of heavy, wet snow and hurricane-force wind gusts, the storm has dumped as much as 28 inches of snow in parts of New England and New York.

Because it has struck major aviation hubs like JFK, Newark, and Boston, it has caused a total ground stop for transatlantic travel. For UK travellers, Storm Hernando is the primary reason for today's flight cancellations, as the extreme weather prevented aircraft from departing the U.S. to reach UK airports for their scheduled return trips.

ITV News shared the following forecast to show how Storm Fernando will impact the UK in the coming days:

Is Winter Storm Hernando Affecting Disney World?

While the snow stays north, Storm Hernando is dragging a massive Arctic air mass down the coast. Orlando is currently experiencing its coldest air since 1989. The forecast for today, 23rd February 2026, is a high of 13°C (55°F), with a low of 1°C (34°F) tonight. Gusts from the Northwest are however making the "feels like" temperature much lower.

Freeze Warnings are in place for Central Florida for early Tuesday morning. Disney World travellers are certainly experiencing a colder than usual February, following a rare Florida freezing cold snap that shattered records earlier at the beginning of the month.

If you are already in Florida right now, or heading out on a direct flight tomorrow ditch the spirit jerseys for heavy coats. Disney water parks are experiencing weather-related closures today and tomorrow due to the low temperatures, even though the skies are clear, blue, and sunny.

Magic In A Minute

Historic Winter Storm Hernando has grounded flights across the US North-East Coast, having a knock on impact on around 50 flights to the US from the UK today. If you are heading to Florida and Disney World on an indirect route changing in New York, Atlanta, or Boston keep an eye on your flights.

FAQs

Is Winter Storm Hernando causing Florida flight cancellations for UK indirect travellers?

Yes, but for indirect UK travellers are often most affected because disruptions at US hub airports cause missed connections and cancellations on the final leg to Orlando.

What should I do if my connecting flight to Orlando is cancelled?

Contact your airline immediately via the app and request rerouting to Orlando (MCO). If options are limited, ask for the earliest confirmed routing that still gets you to Florida.