A British Airways flight has likely broken the fastest-ever subsonic New York to London crossing time after reaching speeds of more than 800mph.

Passenger plane records over the Atlantic tumbled overnight on Saturday and Sunday as Storm Ciara hurtled towards Britain on the back of a 200mph jet stream.

According to Flightradar24, an online flight tracking service, a British Airways Boeing 747 departing JFK airport on Saturday reached Heathrow in 4 hours 56 minutes shortly after 11.20pm.

It was just a minute faster than a Virgin Atlantic Airbus A350 flight which landed at Heathrow moments later, and three minutes quicker than another Virgin plane which arrived at 5.12am this morning.

Flights travelling in the opposite direction were taking more than two and a half hours longer.

Storm Ciara batters UK Show all 75 1 /75 Storm Ciara batters UK Storm Ciara batters UK A Toyota car in a sinkhole which appeared overnight in Hatch Road, Brentwood, in the aftermath of Storm Ciara PA Storm Ciara batters UK Waves crash over Newhaven Lighthouse Dozens of domestic and international flights have been cancelled as Storm Ciara is set to batter the UK and Ireland with heavy rain and winds of more than 80 miles per hour AFP via Getty Storm Ciara batters UK Large waves and sea spray caused by Storm Ciara hit vehicles being driven along the seafront in Newhaven Reuters Storm Ciara batters UK Flooded streets in Appleby-in-Westmorland, Cumbria PA Storm Ciara batters UK A flooded street is seen after Storm Ciara downpour in Hebden Bridge The Afghan Rug Shop via Reuters Storm Ciara batters UK Flooded houses in Mytholmroyd AFP via Getty Images Storm Ciara batters UK Firefighters rescuing a person from a car in a flooded street in Blackpool South Shore Fire Station/PA Storm Ciara batters UK A sign nearly submerged on the coast in Bosham, Sussex PA Storm Ciara batters UK Newly constructed flood defenses on the River Calder by Mytholmroyd, West Yorkshire AFP/Getty Storm Ciara batters UK Flooding on the coast in Bosham, Sussex PA Storm Ciara batters UK Storm Ciara has also hit areas across Europe. Rescuers work on the A2 motorway in Marly, northern France, after a truck was tipped over in the early morning AFP via Getty Images Storm Ciara batters UK Waves crash into the wall at Newhaven in East Sussex, as Storm Ciara hits the UK PA Storm Ciara batters UK A man looks at debris and damage at his home in Mytholmroyd AFP via Getty Images Storm Ciara batters UK Flood water rushes down a street past houses in Mytholmroyd, northern England AFP via Getty Images Storm Ciara batters UK Flood water surrounds cars parked outside a flooded Co-Op shop in Mytholmroyd AFP via Getty Images Storm Ciara batters UK People enjoy leaning into the wind as Storm Ciara arrives in West Bay Getty Images Storm Ciara batters UK Waves crash over Newhaven Lighthouse AFP via Getty Storm Ciara batters UK Workmen clear up after tree fell on speed camera and damaged it on The Meadway in Tilehurst, Reading PA Storm Ciara batters UK Part of Bridge House Guest House and Sonia's Bistro in Hawick collapsing into the fast-flowing River Teviot as Storm Ciara battered Scotland with high winds and heavy rain Ryan McGee/PA Storm Ciara batters UK Damage to Bridge House Guest House and Sonia's Bistro Rob Tait/PA Storm Ciara batters UK A flooded car in Mytholmroyd AFP via Getty Storm Ciara batters UK Waves crash against the harbour wall in Porthcawl Getty Storm Ciara batters UK A fan arrives in the heavy rain for the Premier League match at Bramall Lane ahead of Sheffield United's Premier League game against Bournemouth PA Storm Ciara batters UK Flooded streets in Appleby-in-Westmorland, Cumbria PA Storm Ciara batters UK A fallen tree in the Longlevens area of Gloucester Rod Minchin/PA Storm Ciara batters UK Flooded streets in Appleby-in-Westmorland, Cumbria PA Storm Ciara batters UK Flooded streets in Appleby-in-Westmorland, Cumbria PA Storm Ciara batters UK A fan arrives in the heavy rain for the Premier League match at Bramall Lane PA Storm Ciara batters UK The river Tweed bursts its banks in the Scottish Border Getty Storm Ciara batters UK Cars make their way through floodwaters as Storm Ciara hits in Accrington EPA Storm Ciara batters UK Poor weather conditions at Bramall Lane Action Images via Reuters Storm Ciara batters UK People walk along the debris-covered promenade after waves broke across it at hight tide, in Blackpool AFP via Getty Images Storm Ciara batters UK A trampoline on the railwayline between Sevenoat and Orpington Network Rail Kent and Sussex/PA Storm Ciara batters UK Fans arrives in the heavy rain for the Premier League match at Bramall Lane PA Storm Ciara batters UK High water levels in Hawes, North Yorkshire bezberesford/PA Storm Ciara batters UK Combination photo showing a crane at a building site in Worthing, West Sussex, which is rotating on its own in the wind PA Storm Ciara batters UK Manchester City's match against West Ham has been called off due to the extreme weather Reuters Storm Ciara batters UK Flooded streets in Appleby-in-Westmorland, Cumbria PA Storm Ciara batters UK Waves hitting the Cobb in Lyme Regis Getty Storm Ciara batters UK Flooded pitch at Bramall Lane Reuters Storm Ciara batters UK Waves crash against the breakwater during Storm Ciara at Wimereux, France Reuters Storm Ciara batters UK The river Tweed busts its banks in the Scottish Borders Getty Storm Ciara batters UK Sheep cut off by a flooding River Tweed in The Scottish Borders Getty Storm Ciara batters UK A lifeboat passes white cliffs, as Storm Ciara hits Newhaven AP Storm Ciara batters UK People walk on the Erasmusbrug in Rotterdam, The Netherlands EPA Storm Ciara batters UK Waves crash into the wall at Porthleven in Cornwall PA Storm Ciara batters UK A woman holds a hand rail to steady herself as she walks along the harbour wall in Polperro, south west England AFP via Getty Storm Ciara batters UK People walk along the promenade as waves in break in a stormy sea alongside the lighthouse in New Brighton, north west England AFP via Getty Storm Ciara batters UK Traffic passes through water on the A66 near Bowes in County Durham PA Storm Ciara batters UK Cladding lies on the ground after falling from the Copthorne Hotel next to the Bramall Lane Action Images via Reuters Storm Ciara batters UK Damage to one of the stands at Wisbech Town Football Club in Cambridgeshire PA Storm Ciara batters UK Waves crash into the wall at Newhaven PA Storm Ciara batters UK A fallen tree crushed a car in Wigan vickigregson/PA Storm Ciara batters UK A man walks with a child and a dog on a dike against strong wind during the storm Ciara in Harlingen, The Netherlands ANP/AFP via Getty Storm Ciara batters UK Waves crash over the harbour wall by a lighthouse as Storm Ciara hits Newhaven AP Storm Ciara batters UK Onlookers watch the storm-churned waters at Newhaven PA Storm Ciara batters UK Police attending the scene of a fallen tree blocking Furze Platt Road, Maidenhead PA Storm Ciara batters UK People get blown by the wind as waves crash over the harbour wall as Storm Ciara hits Newhaven AP Storm Ciara batters UK A motorcycle parked in a flooded street in Mytholmroyd AFP via Getty Images Storm Ciara batters UK Large waves and sea spray caused by Storm Ciara hit vehicles being driven along the seafront in Newhaven REUTERS Storm Ciara batters UK Tree on the Motorway 0411, Brussels to Luxembourg in Bierge, Belgium EPA Storm Ciara batters UK Body boarders ride the stormy waves at Broad Haven, Pembrokeshire as Storm Ciara approaches the Welsh coastline Reuters Storm Ciara batters UK Waves crash against wind turbines at Boulogne-sur-Mer, France Reuters Storm Ciara batters UK People walking alone Salthill promenade in County Galway as Ireland and the UK brace for Storm Ciara PA Storm Ciara batters UK Construction workers begin the process of dismantling steps at Galway's South Park after organisers of the opening ceremony to mark Galway's year as European Capital of Culture cancelled the ceremony due to bad weather with Storm Ciara due to arrive later on Saturday PA Storm Ciara batters UK A fallen tree on power lines in Newborough near Peterborough PA Storm Ciara batters UK Geese take advantage of the conditions as floodwater fills the streets of Hebden Bridge AFP via Getty Images Storm Ciara batters UK People walking their dogs on Salthill promenade PA Storm Ciara batters UK Blackrock Diving Tower in Salthill County Galway being battered by waves PA Storm Ciara batters UK A body boarder rides the stormy waves at Broad Haven Reuters Storm Ciara batters UK The river Tweed floods in the Scottish Borders Getty Images Storm Ciara batters UK Flooded streets in Appleby-in-Westmorland, Cumbria PA Storm Ciara batters UK A woman walks through floodwater in Bosham, Sussex PA Storm Ciara batters UK Flooded houses in Mytholmroyd, West Yorkshire after the River Calder burst its banks AFP/Getty Storm Ciara batters UK Flooding on the road through Mytholmroyd, West Yorkshire AFP/Getty

BA and Virgin smashed the previous New York to London record held by Norwegian, which reached London Gatwick from JFK in 5 hours 13 minutes in January 2018.

The average travel time between New York and London is around 6 hours 13 minutes.

The BA flight reached its peak ground speed of 825mph at the eastern edge of Newfoundland at about 35,000ft, according to Flightradar24's tracking tool.

British Airways flight hits 717kts (825mph) over Atlantic (Flightradar24)

A BA spokesperson told The Independent: "We always prioritise safety over speed records, but our highly trained pilots made the most of the conditions to get customers back to London well ahead of time."

Despite helping flights speed across the Atlantic, Storm Ciara, the UK's worst storm in seven years, has led to drastic cuts in travel services.

Hundreds of flights, trains, and ferry services have been cancelled, with rail passengers warned not to travel on Sunday because Ciara will bring flying debris.

The “flow rate” at Heathrow airport has been reduced, with commensurate cancellations. The Independent calculates at least 25,000 passengers have been hit by cancellations to and from Heathrow.

BA’s passengers are worst affected. The airline has cancelled at least 140 flights to and from Heathrow, including nine long-haul round-trips.

It has also grounded services to Dallas-Fort Worth, Dubai, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Miami, New York JFK, Philadelphia, San Diego and Vancouver. The move will affect about 5,000 passengers.

The fastest ever transatlantic flight time by a passenger plane was made by Concorde when the supersonic aircraft was in service.

The record-breaking flight from New York to London occurred on 7 February, 1996, when it crossed the ocean in 2 hours 53 minutes, according to BA.

Paul Williams, a professor of atmospheric science at the University of Reading, said the planetary climate change emergency was contributing to the increased frequency of record-breaking transatlantic flights.

"The eastbound transatlantic flight time record has been broken three times in the past five years. It is the jet stream in the atmosphere that is getting faster — not the planes themselves," Mr Williams told The Independent.