Bournemouth Air Festival flights cancelled due to bad weather

The first day of the show has been cloudy and drizzly, which can make flying dangerous

Bad weather has forced the Red Arrows to abandon their display on the first day of the Bournemouth Air Festival.

Adverse conditions led to a number of cancellations in the flying programme on Thursday but organisers said they were hopeful the Reds would perform at the end of the afternoon.

However, shortly after arriving at the seafront, the RAF aerobatic team terminated their display.

They are due to return on all three remaining three days of the air show.

Visitors are advised to check for updates on the event's social media.

The four-day show, which is in its 15th year, draws in crowds from across the country

A Bournemouth Air Festival spokesperson said: "Displays that have had to sadly be cancelled today due to the weather include the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight, the Rolls Royce Spitfire and Mustang displays and the Firefly.

"We are continuing to review the ever-changing forecasts and will update on the remainder of the schedule - including this evening - as soon as possible."

Organisers initially said they were "hopeful" the Red Arrows appearance would go ahead but, after starting the display, the team said weather was "not suitable".

"Safety always the priority," it said in a post on X (formerly Twitter).

The launch of the Bournemouth Air Festival was held indoors for the first time in its history because of adverse weather.

The event attracts about one million visitors across the weekend each year.

The Red Arrows are scheduled to fly on all four days of the festival and several other aircraft, including the Typhoon and the Battle of Britain planes, are also expected to take to the skies.

The show can be best viewed on the beach either side of Bournemouth Pier or on the clifftops.

The launch of the Bournemouth Air Festival was held indoors