By . Lucy Crossley . PUBLISHED: . 04:48 EST, 16 October 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 08:23 EST, 16 October 2013 . Holidaymakers and business travellers faced travel chaos after heavy rain caused a power cut at one of the country's busiest airports. Frantic airport staff were forced to use flipboards as make-shift departure boards after the power went out at Gatwick's busy South Terminal, used by thousands of passengers every day. Workers also had to use megaphones instead of tannoy announcements after the power to the terminal's check-in, baggage systems and parts of the . departure lounge was cut off. Fog on the Tyne: Commuters on their way to work this morning in Newcastle were met with the Tyne's legendary fog which descended on the city . Hard work: The early start can't have been much fun for these hard-working rowers as they battled through the misty Cam . London fog: Commuters stroll across Westminster Bridge in London through the heavy fog . Early theories suggested that heavy rain could have caused a short circuit at the airport. A . statement from Gatwick said: 'We are currently experiencing a . power outage affecting some operational systems in the South Terminal. 'Unfortunately this is causing some delays for passengers and we apologise for any inconvenience this is causing. 'We are working to fix the problem and looking at what contingencies we can put in place in the meantime to minimise disruption. 'We . advise all passengers scheduled to fly out of the South Terminal today . to check the status of the flight with their airline first and check the . flight information on our website. 'We are also advising passengers to expect some delays.' One passenger, Lance Price, tweeted: 'Chaos at Gatwick. Water got into the electrics, power out and no flights going anywhere. Announcements via megaphone and a whiteboard!' Another tweet, from a Sandy Holford, said: 'Complete bedlam at Gatwick, almost all systems down and those that are up show the wrong info.' Other passengers took to Twitter to describe their various predicaments. Ian Graham said: 'Just back from Croatia and stuck on plane due to flooding and power cut at Gatwick.' Adrian Simpsonwrote: 'You can add rain to the list of things that @Gatwick-Airport can't handle. Stuck in plane with airport flooded and no power. Fun.' Sunny start: The glorious sunrise over Hogganfield Loch near Glasgow after a cold night in Scotland where temperatures were close to zero . Shepherd's warning? Swans enjoy the sunrise at Hogganfield Loch, although Scotland was set for chilly temperatures and rain . Birds of a feather: Pigeons bask in the early morning sunrise near Glasgow after the cold night . Air passengers had already faced long . delays and cancellations after most of the country was coated in a . blanket of thick early-morning fog. The . poor visibility led to disruption at Gatwick, as well as at Heathrow and London City airports, with British Airways among the many airlines affected. The . weather was set to bring more woe over the course of the day, with . heavy rain due to sweep across the country as autumn set in. Heathrow said that BA had been forced to cancel seven flights at Heathrow because of the fog. 'There's . been fog this morning and there has been some disruption to flights at . Heathrow, London City and Gatwick,' said a spokesman from the airline. Passengers were being advised to check on their flight status at London City Airport with some journeys facing delays. A London City spokesman said: 'Due to . low visibility this morning, flights to/from London City Airport are . experiencing disruptions. 'Passengers are advised to contact their airlines for more information.' Meanwhile, on the railways, a freight train derailment meant disruption to all routes running through Gloucester. This was affecting passengers travelling with the Arriva Trains Wales, CrossCountry and First Great Western train companies. And rail commuters were left facing disruptions for the remainder of the week, with engineers predicting that repairs to the line may not be completed until Sunday. Walkers on Parliament Hill this . morning were left shrouded in mist, while the iconic Tyne Bridge in . Newcastle was also coated in the celebrated 'fog on the Tyne'. Forecast: A band of heavy rain will sweep across the UK in a north-easterly direction, while tomorrow will be dry in England and Wales . Row your boat: Rowers make their way through the fog on the River Cam in Cambridge . Cold snap: Many Brits woke to a misty and foggy start this morning as the Autumn days set in . Lucky break: These rowers will be glad they took the the water early as rain is expected across much of the country . Bicycle race: This young family took to the banks of the River Cam by bike . The River Cam in the university city of . Cambridge was shrouded with mist as rowers practised on the water, . whilst drivers on the busy A14 faced foggy conditions as they drove to . work. Weather forecasters . were predicting that this morning's fog would make way for a band of . heavy rain and strong winds, set to sweep across the country from . Cornwall and up in a north-easterly direction. 'We have got a front moving across the country today,' said a Met Office spokesman. 'It's moving from the south towards the north east. 'We have got a line of wet and . windy weather moving across the country, it has been moving up through . the South West this morning, there has been heavy rain, a lot of cloud . and a bit of fog around.' Despite the chilly start, experts at the Met Office were predicting warmer temperatures for later in the day. However, while the south will become brighter and . milder as the fog clears, the North was set to remain grey, cold and windy . with some heavy rain showers. Morning view: A dog walker on a fog covered Parliament Hill in Hampstead, London . One man and his dog: A runner takes on the thick fog on Parliament Hill as poor visibility meant traffic chaos . An eerie start: Temperatures took a dip this morning with the foggy start, although Thursday is set to be warmer . 'As the rain and fog clears, coming up behind it is a brighter forecast with warmer temperatures of around 16 to 18 degrees across the south of the country where it will be a bit warmer. 'Once it has moved through we will see some sun and windy showers across the south west and Wales, the front is moving quite slowly - it won't rush through as it moves across north Wales and the North East. 'Northern Scotland will stay fairly cold and cloudy and will get a little bit colder as the front moves across.' Tomorrow (Thurs) northern areas are due to stay cloudy with outbreaks of rain and a chance of wintry showers . in the Scottish mountains. The rest of the country is set to see a mix of . locally heavy showers and sunny spells, with temperatures slightly . higher than average in some places with highs of 18C. The mild weather will remain on Friday and into the weekend, with highs of 19C on Saturday. Friday and Saturday are expected to be a mix of clear and bright spells and scattered showers. Misty morning: Heavy fog meant traffic in Hampstead, north London was shrouded in mist, while poor weather caused delays and cancellations at major UK airports . No ray of light: Forecasters were predicting that this morning's fog, pictured in north London, would be followed by heavy rain . Commuter trek: Drivers on the A14 in Cambridge faced foggy conditions as they made their way to work .
Rain blamed for power cut at Gatwick .
Power to South Terminal's check-in and baggage systems cut off .
Staff use flipboards as make-shift departure board .
Passengers had already faced long delays at airports due to fog .
Fog gives way to heavy rain sweeping across UK .
By . Lucy Crossley . PUBLISHED: . 04:48 EST, 16 October 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 08:23 EST, 16 October 2013 . Holidaymakers and business travellers faced travel chaos after heavy rain caused a power cut at one of the country's busiest airports. Frantic airport staff were forced to use flipboards as make-shift departure boards after the power went out at Gatwick's busy South Terminal, used by thousands of passengers every day. Workers also had to use megaphones instead of tannoy announcements after the power to the terminal's check-in, baggage systems and parts of the . departure lounge was cut off. Fog on the Tyne: Commuters on their way to work this morning in Newcastle were met with the Tyne's legendary fog which descended on the city . Hard work: The early start can't have been much fun for these hard-working rowers as they battled through the misty Cam . London fog: Commuters stroll across Westminster Bridge in London through the heavy fog . Early theories suggested that heavy rain could have caused a short circuit at the airport. A . statement from Gatwick said: 'We are currently experiencing a . power outage affecting some operational systems in the South Terminal. 'Unfortunately this is causing some delays for passengers and we apologise for any inconvenience this is causing. 'We are working to fix the problem and looking at what contingencies we can put in place in the meantime to minimise disruption. 'We . advise all passengers scheduled to fly out of the South Terminal today . to check the status of the flight with their airline first and check the . flight information on our website. 'We are also advising passengers to expect some delays.' One passenger, Lance Price, tweeted: 'Chaos at Gatwick. Water got into the electrics, power out and no flights going anywhere. Announcements via megaphone and a whiteboard!' Another tweet, from a Sandy Holford, said: 'Complete bedlam at Gatwick, almost all systems down and those that are up show the wrong info.' Other passengers took to Twitter to describe their various predicaments. Ian Graham said: 'Just back from Croatia and stuck on plane due to flooding and power cut at Gatwick.' Adrian Simpsonwrote: 'You can add rain to the list of things that @Gatwick-Airport can't handle. Stuck in plane with airport flooded and no power. Fun.' Sunny start: The glorious sunrise over Hogganfield Loch near Glasgow after a cold night in Scotland where temperatures were close to zero . Shepherd's warning? Swans enjoy the sunrise at Hogganfield Loch, although Scotland was set for chilly temperatures and rain . Birds of a feather: Pigeons bask in the early morning sunrise near Glasgow after the cold night . Air passengers had already faced long . delays and cancellations after most of the country was coated in a . blanket of thick early-morning fog. The . poor visibility led to disruption at Gatwick, as well as at Heathrow and London City airports, with British Airways among the many airlines affected. The . weather was set to bring more woe over the course of the day, with . heavy rain due to sweep across the country as autumn set in. Heathrow said that BA had been forced to cancel seven flights at Heathrow because of the fog. 'There's . been fog this morning and there has been some disruption to flights at . Heathrow, London City and Gatwick,' said a spokesman from the airline. Passengers were being advised to check on their flight status at London City Airport with some journeys facing delays. A London City spokesman said: 'Due to . low visibility this morning, flights to/from London City Airport are . experiencing disruptions. 'Passengers are advised to contact their airlines for more information.' Meanwhile, on the railways, a freight train derailment meant disruption to all routes running through Gloucester. This was affecting passengers travelling with the Arriva Trains Wales, CrossCountry and First Great Western train companies. And rail commuters were left facing disruptions for the remainder of the week, with engineers predicting that repairs to the line may not be completed until Sunday. Walkers on Parliament Hill this . morning were left shrouded in mist, while the iconic Tyne Bridge in . Newcastle was also coated in the celebrated 'fog on the Tyne'. Forecast: A band of heavy rain will sweep across the UK in a north-easterly direction, while tomorrow will be dry in England and Wales . Row your boat: Rowers make their way through the fog on the River Cam in Cambridge . Cold snap: Many Brits woke to a misty and foggy start this morning as the Autumn days set in . Lucky break: These rowers will be glad they took the the water early as rain is expected across much of the country . Bicycle race: This young family took to the banks of the River Cam by bike . The River Cam in the university city of . Cambridge was shrouded with mist as rowers practised on the water, . whilst drivers on the busy A14 faced foggy conditions as they drove to . work. Weather forecasters . were predicting that this morning's fog would make way for a band of . heavy rain and strong winds, set to sweep across the country from . Cornwall and up in a north-easterly direction. 'We have got a front moving across the country today,' said a Met Office spokesman. 'It's moving from the south towards the north east. 'We have got a line of wet and . windy weather moving across the country, it has been moving up through . the South West this morning, there has been heavy rain, a lot of cloud . and a bit of fog around.' Despite the chilly start, experts at the Met Office were predicting warmer temperatures for later in the day. However, while the south will become brighter and . milder as the fog clears, the North was set to remain grey, cold and windy . with some heavy rain showers. Morning view: A dog walker on a fog covered Parliament Hill in Hampstead, London . One man and his dog: A runner takes on the thick fog on Parliament Hill as poor visibility meant traffic chaos . An eerie start: Temperatures took a dip this morning with the foggy start, although Thursday is set to be warmer . 'As the rain and fog clears, coming up behind it is a brighter forecast with warmer temperatures of around 16 to 18 degrees across the south of the country where it will be a bit warmer. 'Once it has moved through we will see some sun and windy showers across the south west and Wales, the front is moving quite slowly - it won't rush through as it moves across north Wales and the North East. 'Northern Scotland will stay fairly cold and cloudy and will get a little bit colder as the front moves across.' Tomorrow (Thurs) northern areas are due to stay cloudy with outbreaks of rain and a chance of wintry showers . in the Scottish mountains. The rest of the country is set to see a mix of . locally heavy showers and sunny spells, with temperatures slightly . higher than average in some places with highs of 18C. The mild weather will remain on Friday and into the weekend, with highs of 19C on Saturday. Friday and Saturday are expected to be a mix of clear and bright spells and scattered showers. Misty morning: Heavy fog meant traffic in Hampstead, north London was shrouded in mist, while poor weather caused delays and cancellations at major UK airports . No ray of light: Forecasters were predicting that this morning's fog, pictured in north London, would be followed by heavy rain . Commuter trek: Drivers on the A14 in Cambridge faced foggy conditions as they made their way to work .
travellers faced travel chaos after heavy rain forced to use flipboards as make-shift departure to the terminal's check-in, baggage systems and due to flooding and power cut at Gatwick.' Adrian passengers had already faced long . delays and