Storm Goretti has brought dangerous stormy winds to the UK in addition to heavy snow, with gusts of up to 99mph recorded on Thursday.
The storm, named by French meteorological service Meteo-France, is the first of the year and has battered the UK with “violent” winds, causing significant travel disruption in parts of the country.
The UK Met Office put in place a red weather warning for wind in Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly which lasted from 4pm to 11pm on Thursday. The extreme weather knocked out power in more than 44,000 homes in south west England and caused Birmingham airport to shut one of its runways.
An amber weather warning which came into effect at 8pm on Thursday evening remains in place until 9am on Friday, covering the Midlands, Yorkshire and parts of Wales. The Met Office has warned it will bring 10 to 15cm of snow, with the potential for 20 to 30cm in some locations, mainly on hills, especially in Wales and the Peak District.
Friday’s weather warnings
Storm Goretti is set to continue into Friday with the amber “danger to life” warning for snow still in place in the Midlands, Wales and the South West until 9am.
Six other yellow weather warnings are also in place. The snow and ice warning covering most of Scotland will end at midday, along with the yellow snow warning spanning the North, Midlands and Wales.
Meanwhile, the rain warnings in Wales and the East of England will end at 10am and 9pm respectively.
The yellow wind warnings covering Cornwall, South Wales and much of the south coast of England will end at 9am.
A new yellow weather warning for ice will come into effect at midnight, covering all of Northern Ireland. It is set to end at 11am.
Cold health alert extended until Sunday
The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has issued amber cold health alerts for all of England until Sunday at 12pm, warning there could be significant impacts across health and social care services, including a rise in deaths, particularly among those aged 65 and over or with health conditions.
Dr Agostinho Sousa, head of extreme events and health protection at UKHSA, said: “As the colder weather sets in, it is vital to check in on friends, family and neighbours that are most vulnerable.
“The forecast temperatures can have a serious impact on the health of some people, leading to increased risk of heart attacks, strokes and chest infections, particularly for individuals over the age of 65 and those with pre-existing health conditions.”
Chief forecaster Neil Armstrong said: “Storm Goretti will be a multi-hazard event, with the most significant impacts from snow in parts of Wales and the Midlands, though rain and strong winds also have the potential to bring disruption to many.
“Goretti will bring snow on its northern edge, this most likely over Wales and the Midlands. Here accumulations of 5 to 10cm are likely widely, with 15 to 25cm in some places, especially hills, and perhaps up to 30cm very locally.”
Travel disruption
Hundreds of schools in northern Scotland will remain closed as much of the country braces itself for further snow and icy conditions. Some rural areas have been completely cut off, and transport is severely affected by the weather.
Rail passengers should also expect a series of line closures during the cold period.
Northern says the line between Sheffield and Manchester, as well as routes to Glossop and Buxton, will be closed from 6pm on Thursday until Saturday morning.
Tricia Williams, managing director at Northern, said: “We have issued ‘Do Not Travel’ warnings on these three routes and are advising customers to check before they travel on other routes across our network and allow extra time for their journeys.
”The final train from Manchester Piccadilly to Sheffield leaves at 4.48pm, and in the opposite direction at 5.14pm.
Transport for Wales (TfW) said six lines will be closed completely from 3pm on Thursday, with a reduced service on the remainder. The standard advice from TfW is: “You cannot travel – there are no trains running and we are unable to run rail replacement bus services.”
In Scotland, the northern parts of the Far North line from Inverness to Wick and Thurso remain closed, with some rail replacement buses.
Intercity operators are encouraging passengers to travel earlier in the day. Avanti West Coast is to reduce its timetable from 3pm. Instead of three trains an hour between Birmingham and Manchester to London Euston, there will be two services – and only one an hour between Liverpool and London.
CrossCountry is cutting back trains from 3pm, and is offering passengers with tickets for Thursday or Friday to travel on any train they like on Thursday, or switch to Saturday.
LNER is also urging people with trains scheduled after 3pm on Thursday to travel earlier in the day if they can.
Chiltern urges passengers to complete their journeys by 8pm on Thursday and warns of reduced services on Friday.
South Western Railway has cancelled seven long-distance trains on Thursday evening and warns that further disruption is likely.
