The disruptions come at a rough time for air travel, after ash clouds earlier this week forced airport closures and hundreds of flight cancelations in Britain, Germany and elsewhere in northwestern Europe.

A spokesman for BAA, Heathrow’s owner, said 53 departures and 29 arrivals were canceled Thursday evening but that conditions have improved and “everything seems to be returning to normal.”

Meteorologists say wind gusts at Heathrow reached up to 41 mph (66 kph)and that the area around the airport saw consistent lightning strikes Thursday afternoon.