Dramatic footage emerges of Ryanair plane battered by high winds

More extreme weather is expected to affect the UK later this week

Dramatic footage has emerged of a Ryanair plane being thrashed by Storm Ali winds as it attempted to take off at Birmingham Airport.

The Alicante-bound aircraft was described as performing an “Irish jig” after its efforts for a smooth departure were quashed by high winds.

Following an uneventful taxi down the runaway, the plane then bears the brunt of the high winds that resulted in traffic turmoil for travellers around the UK.

In the hair-raising video, the plane can be seen lurching to the left as the nose wheels and right-hand wheels leave the ground.

The plane then proceeds to tip to the right, as the left-hand wheels leave the ground.

After a clumsy start, the plane finally becomes airborne.

While the plane’s antics may strike many as hairy, the British Airline Pilots’ Association (Balpa) insisted that the bumbling plane was not unsafe.

“While it looks scary, it’s something pilots are routinely trained for and is no cause for alarm,” a Balpa spokesperson told The Daily Mail.

“Pilots are specifically trained to fly the aircraft in all situations in which they might be expected to operate, including strong winds.

“The technique for taking off in windy condition varies from aircraft to aircraft but the general aim is to predict how the aircraft will want to react to the wind as the aircraft speed increases and apply control forces to keep it straight with the wings level.”

A serving long-haul captain reinforced this position, describing taking off in strong crosswinds as “a bit rocky, without being intrinsically dangerous.”

Ryanair confirmed that the flight continued “without incident".

Despite unseasonably mild temperatures in the UK, the last month has seen adverse weather conditions affect travellers to and from the UK.

Storm Ali resulted in the cancellation of flights and train services around the country, while dozens of flights were cancelled at London airports last week due to heavy fog.

Travel disruptions are likely to continue as the Met Office issued a “danger to life” warning for Friday when strong winds are expected to hit Scotland and Northern Ireland.