Storm Goretti: Man killed by tree falling on caravan as UK battered with 99mph winds

As Storm Goretti ravaged England at 99 miles per hour, a man died when a tree fell on his caravan.

The man, in his 50s, was found dead in the Mawgan area of ​​Helston on Thursday evening, when Cornwall’s rare red weather warning was in force for “dangerous, gusty” winds.

Devon and Cornwall Police said emergency services were called at around 7.35pm on Thursday and work began to remove the tree on Friday. The man’s death is not being treated as suspicious and his relatives have been notified.

Snow and ice warnings remain in force across much of England on Saturday as tens of thousands of people are still without power after the storm hit the country.

National Rail said yellow warnings for snow and ice will remain in place until Sunday and rail disruptions could be seen in England, Wales and Scotland throughout the weekend.

According to National Grid’s website, around 28,000 properties in the South West were without power at 6am on Saturday morning, while all power had been restored in Wales.

On the evening the man died, the Met Office warned that “high winds” would hit parts of Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly, posing a potential danger to life. According to the forecaster, wind gusts of 99 mph were recorded at St Mary’s Airport on the Isles of Scilly when the red alert was issued between 4pm and 11pm; This is a new record for the region.

Storm Goretti, named by French weather forecaster Meteo France, was described as a “multi-hazard event” by the Met Office; Warnings for snow, wind, rain and ice have been issued across the UK this week, with some parts covered in up to 30cm of snow.

Forecasters have warned that melting snow and rain will increase the risk of flooding for some people in the coming days.

Forecasters recorded 15cm of snow at Lake Vyrnwy in Powys and 7cm at Preston Montford in Shropshire and Nottingham. In Scotland, Altnaharra in Sutherland had 27cm, Loch Glascarnoch had 26cm and Durris in Kincardineshire had 22cm.

The highest rainfall total was recorded in Cornwall at Colliford Dam with 61.8mm, followed by Ddolwen Bridge, Dyfed with 57mm and White Barrow in Devon with 54mm.

A yellow warning for snow and ice is in effect until 15:00 on Saturday; Further snowfall is likely across parts of northern England and much of Scotland, while the risk of widespread ice is expected to cause disruption.

A separate yellow ice warning covers large parts of England and Wales until midday on Saturday as partially melted snow refreezes, accompanied by showers and freezing fog.

A yellow warning for snow and ice in Northern Ireland will remain in place until 11am on Saturday, while the Met Office will warn of snow on icy areas and hills.

A yellow warning for snow and ice will be in force from 2am to 3pm on Sunday for most of Scotland, the East and West Midlands, north-east and north-west England and Yorkshire.

Another 2-5 cm of snow is likely in the warning area; Above 200 meters, 10-20 cm of snow is possible.

Met Office meteorologist Dan Stroud said the weather would remain “unsettled and cold” over the weekend.

He said: “Snowfall will continue to affect some coastal areas on Saturday, but as the day progresses these will become increasingly confined to the north and east.

“Elsewhere, it will be a mostly dry day with varying amounts of clouds, following a cold and frosty start. “It will be a very cold day with frost continuing in some parts of the country.

“Sunday will start dry in the east, but the clouds and rain already present in the west will move steadily eastward.

“Rain will fall as snow across the inner Midlands and areas further north. However, temperatures will rise throughout the day, meaning snow will become increasingly trapped on higher ground in the afternoon.

“It will be windy for everyone, with coastal storms and the potential for severe storms in the northwest later in the day.

“Unstable but increasingly mild weather will continue next week; persistent rains and strong stormy winds will be experienced from time to time in the northern and western regions. However, with the temperatures returning to close to normal values, it will feel much milder than recent times.”

More to follow…