Storm Goretti leaves 44,000 homes without power as ‘weather bomb’ hits the UK
.jpeg?trim=0,55,0,0&width=1200&height=800&crop=1200:800&w=780&resize=780,470&ssl=1 "Storm Goretti leaves 44,000 homes without power as ‘weather bomb’ hits the UK")
Storm Goretti brought a potentially deadly mix of high winds, ice, heavy snow and rain on Thursday, forcing schools to close and leaving thousands of homes without power.
Winds of up to 99 miles per hour were recorded as authorities issued a rare red warning (the highest level) for the Isles of Scilly and Cornwall.
Emergency alerts were sent to cell phones in the area, sounding an alarm even though they were muted.
.jpeg)
More than 40,000 properties in south-west England suffered power cuts, according to National Grid.
The red alert officially means “There will be a high risk to life, with significant disruption to travel, energy supplies and possibly widespread damage to property and infrastructure.”
The Met Office says of red alerts: “You should avoid travel where possible and follow the advice of emergency services and local authorities.”
Rain has begun to turn to snow in the western Midlands, Wales and the Pennines as part of the “weather bomb” that has hit the country.
An amber warning for snow was in place across an area from south-east England to south Wales and from south-west England to Yorkshire and Scotland on Thursday night and into Friday morning.
Yorkshire and the east of England were also under a yellow rain warning overnight.
Wind gusts of 99 mph were recorded at St Mary’s Airport in the Isles of Scilly; This is a new record for the region.
Dozens of schools in Cornwall finished classes early on Thursday as the storm approached, and others in the Midlands and Wales decided to close on Friday.
In Scotland, more than 250 schools remained closed for a fifth day on Friday after several days of heavy snow, ice and sub-zero temperatures.
Anyone trying to travel to the west and south-west of England has encountered delays or disruption. All trains in Cornwall were suspended from 6pm on Thursday, and in Devon, services on the Exeter-Okehampton and Exeter-Barnstaple routes were also suspended due to forecast high winds.
Six railway lines in Wales closed at 3pm on Thursday, with services reduced on the remainder. Avanti West Coast canceled one in three trains between London and Birmingham and Manchester.
Passengers were advised not to attempt travel as services were disrupted again on Friday morning. Train operators gave passengers the option to postpone their journeys until Monday.
Replacement buses were not furnished as snow and rain made road travel risky.
British Airways canceled 30 flights to and from London Heathrow.
The RAC has warned motorists about the risk of trees falling and cars being attacked.
Spokesperson Alice Simpson said: “The red weather warning is as serious as it sounds: avoid the roads – unless absolutely necessary – until storm winds have passed.
“Given the worst conditions expected in Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly, we strongly advise motorists in these areas to stay safe by parking well away from trees which could be uprooted by the strongest winds the region has seen for years.
“Exposed routes and coastlines pose the greatest danger, with drivers completely exposed to the weather and at risk of being ‘drained’ along the road by sudden winds.”
A weather boom, also known as explosive cyclogenesis, occurs when the central pressure in a low-pressure area drops rapidly. To qualify, the pressure must drop 24 millibars in 24 hours.
Storm Goretti, named by French forecaster Météo France, has also prompted a yellow wind warning for the rest of England’s south coast and Wales, where winds of up to 70 miles per hour are forecast.
According to the Met Office, yellow warnings mean travel disruption is likely to be disrupted in some areas, or weather conditions could have more serious impacts for most people, but this is less likely.
The agency said extraordinary wind speeds could be even higher than recent storms such as Ciaran in 2023 and Eunice in 2022.
Met Office chief forecaster Neil Armstrong said: “Storm Goretti will be a multi-hazard event, with the most significant impacts from snow across parts of Wales and the Midlands and very strong winds in the far south-west, although heavy rain in parts of Wales and East Anglia also has the potential to inconvenience many people.”
Forecasters say Saturday will be calmer, but by Sunday more snow and strong winds will hit the north of England and rain will fall in the south.
Next week is expected to be milder.
