The UK continues to grapple with the severe aftermath of Storm Goretti, which has now claimed its first victim. A man in his 50s was found dead after a tree fell onto his caravan in the Mawgan area of Helston, Cornwall, on Thursday evening.
Cornwall bears the brunt as warnings persist
Devon and Cornwall Police confirmed the tragic death, which occurred as Cornwall faced the worst of the extreme weather. The region was the only part of the UK placed under a rare red weather warning, leading to all train services being suspended and leaving more than 40,000 homes without power.
While power has been restored in Wales, significant outages remain. At 6am on Saturday, around 28,000 properties were without power in the South West, with nearly 1,700 affected in the West Midlands and 150 in the East Midlands. Downing Street has stated support is being offered to those affected.
New ice and freezing fog threat
The Met Office has issued fresh yellow warnings for snow and ice, valid until Sunday, with rail disruption expected to continue across England, Wales, and Scotland. A separate yellow warning for ice covers large parts of England and Wales until midday on Saturday.
Forecasters warn that partially thawed snow will refreeze overnight as temperatures plummet, creating a widespread ice risk. Freezing fog patches are also likely, posing an additional hazard. Wintry showers are expected to continue feeding into parts of Wales, southwest England, and potentially the West Midlands.
Dan Stroud, a Met Office meteorologist, said the weekend weather will remain "unsettled and cold." He added that Sunday will see rain, turning to snow inland across the north Midlands and further north, accompanied by strong winds and potential coastal gales.
Record snowfall and flood risk
Significant snowfalls have been recorded across the UK. In Scotland, Altnaharra in Sutherland saw 27cm of snow, with 26cm at Loch Glascarnoch. England and Wales also experienced heavy snow, with 15cm at Lake Vyrnwy in Powys.
The highest rainfall was recorded in Cornwall, with 61.8mm at Colliford Dam. Forecasters have warned that the combination of melting snow and rain will increase the flood risk in the coming days.
Further weather warnings are in place. A yellow warning for snow and ice will run in Northern Ireland until 11am on Saturday. From 2am until 3pm on Sunday, another warning covers much of Scotland, the East and West Midlands, north-east and north-west England, and Yorkshire, with a further 2-5cm of snow likely and 10-20cm possible above 200 metres.
The Met Office predicts the unsettled conditions will continue into next week, with persistent rain and strong winds, although temperatures are expected to return to near-normal values, feeling milder than recent days.
