Storm Goretti is causing severe disruption across the United Kingdom, with tens of thousands of households plunged into darkness, widespread travel cancellations, and dozens of schools forced to close.
Widespread Power Outages and Record Winds
The fierce storm, named by Meteo France, has been labelled a "multi-hazard event" by the Met Office. It brought record-breaking winds, with a gust of 99mph recorded at St Mary's Airport on the Isles of Scilly on Thursday, setting a new record for the location.
This has resulted in significant power failures. According to the National Grid's website, at 6am on Friday, more than 43,000 properties were without power in the South West. A further 14,000 were affected in the West Midlands, with 530 in Wales and over 450 in the East Midlands. Engineers aimed to restore services in the south west by 8am.
Major Transport Network Disruption
The storm's impact on transport has been extensive. National Rail warned that services across England, Wales, and Scotland could be affected until the end of Friday.
All trains in Cornwall were suspended from 6pm on Thursday, with services on key Devon routes also halted. West Midlands Railway advised customers not to travel until at least Friday afternoon, and London Northwestern Railway suspended all morning services between Birmingham and Liverpool Lime Street.
Air travel was also hit. East Midlands Airport reopened its runway after an overnight closure due to heavy snow, but warned of lingering delays. Birmingham Airport was conducting safety checks after a similar suspension.
On the roads, National Highways reported the A30 in Cornwall closed in both directions between Longrock and St Erth due to a large number of fallen trees, with police assisting.
Severe Weather Warnings and School Closures
The Met Office issued a rare red warning for wind in the South West until 11pm on Thursday, indicating a danger to life from flying debris, large waves, and structural damage.
An amber warning for snow remains in place until 9am on Friday for parts of Wales, the Midlands, and Yorkshire, with 10-15cm of snow likely and up to 30cm on higher ground in Wales and the Peak District. Dozens of schools in these areas have announced closures.
Further yellow warnings for wind, snow, and ice cover much of the country, including the south coast, Wales, and large parts of Scotland, where over 250 schools are closed, including more than 150 in Aberdeenshire.
Met Office chief forecaster Neil Armstrong stated: "Storm Goretti will be a multi-hazard event, with the most significant impacts from snow in parts of Wales and the Midlands and the very strong winds in the far South West." The public is urged to avoid travel where warnings are in place and follow official advice.
