Storm Goretti map: Where Britain will be hit by heavy snow and ice with further disruption expected
The Met Office has issued new weather warnings as Storm Goretti brings heavy snowfall to the UK.
Storm Goretti, named by the French weather service Meteo-France, is the first storm of the year and is likely to cause significant travel disruption in the UK, although France will be most severely affected.
The UK Met Office issued two yellow weather warnings for the Thursday evening before the storm, including a yellow wind warning for winds of 80 to 90 miles per hour in Cornwall; This means there will be “danger to life” from large waves and debris.
Another yellow warning will bring 10 to 15cm of snow, with the potential for 20 to 30cm of snow in some places, particularly in the hills, particularly in Wales and the Peak District.
Five yellow weather warnings issued for snow and ice on Thursday for other parts of the UK, including Scotland, Northern Ireland and the Midlands, two for rain in the east of England and Wales and a further one for wind in the South West.
Mass cancellations to and from Amsterdam Schiphol Airport continued for six days due to snow and ice, and KLM flights between the Dutch hub and UK airports were cancelled. KLM suspended 600 flights to and from its hub on Wednesday.
British Airways canceled 10 flights connecting Heathrow to Amsterdam and a return flight from London City airport.
Aberdeenshire Council also declared a “major incident” as ongoing snow continues to cause travel disruption and school closures.
Thursday’s weather warnings
The Met Office issued two yellow and eight amber weather warnings across the country on Thursday.
A yellow ice warning will be in place in Northern Ireland until 10am on Thursday, with temperatures expected to drop rapidly, creating a risk of ice overnight.
Snow and ice are expected to cause further disruption in Scotland until Thursday morning as the Met Office extended its yellow weather warning until 12am.
A yellow wind warning is in place across the south-west of England and Wales as a deep area of low pressure will move across the south of the UK on Thursday and Friday, bringing a mix of rain, snow and strong winds. The warning lasts from 15:00 until midnight.
Three yellow weather warnings for snow will be issued between 5pm and 8pm on Thursday in Wales, the south-east and west of England and the Midlands. Storm Goretti is likely to bring heavy snowfall to higher ground in South Wales. 5 to 10 cm of snow could accumulate in some areas, with the potential for up to 20 cm in some places, especially on higher ground. Strong winds may cause some snow drift.
A yellow heavy snow warning will cover parts of Wales, the Midlands and South Yorkshire from 8pm later in the evening.
Forecasters said the snowfall brought by Storm Goretti would mean trains and flights could be delayed or cancelled, rural communities could be cut off from communications and there could be power outages or interruptions to mobile signals. The warning extends from Sheffield in the North to Leicester, much of the West Midlands and Wales.
An amber wind weather warning is in place over Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly between 5pm and 11pm on Thursday as the forecaster warned there could be a “danger to life” as large waves and debris are thrown onto beachside roads and properties.
Storm Goretti may bring exceptionally strong north-westerly winds to the Isles of Scilly and parts of Cornwall for a short period on Thursday evening; Open areas could potentially have peak winds of 80 to 90 mph.
Two yellow weather warnings for rain will be in place in south Wales from midday and in east England from 6pm.
Weather warnings for Friday
Storm Goretti will continue until Friday, with an amber “danger to life” warning for snow continuing across the Midlands, Wales and the South West until 9am.
Five other yellow weather warnings are in place. The wind warning ends at 6am in the South West and Wales. One for rain in South Wales ends at 10am, but another for rain in the East won’t end until 9pm.
A yellow warning for snow in the South West will end at 9am, and a yellow warning for large parts of the UK including the Midlands, Wales, the North East and the North West will also end at midday.
Cold warning extended until Sunday
The UK Health Safety Agency (UKHSA) has issued yellow cold health alerts for the whole of England until 12pm on Sunday, warning there could be significant impacts on health and social care services, including an increase in deaths, particularly for those aged 65 and over or with underlying health conditions.
UKHSA’s head of extreme events and health protection, Dr. Agostinho Sousa said: “As cold weather arrives, it is vital to check on your friends, family and neighbors who are most vulnerable.
“Predicted temperatures could have a serious impact on some people’s health, leading to an increased risk of heart attack, stroke and chest infection, especially for those over 65 and those with pre-existing health conditions.”
Chief forecaster Neil Armstrong said: “Storm Goretti will be a very dangerous event, with the most significant impacts coming from snow across parts of Wales and the Midlands, but rain and strong winds also have the potential to disturb many people.
“Goretti will bring snow to the northern tip, most likely over Wales and the Midlands. Accumulations of 5-10cm are likely to be widespread here, with 15-25cm in some places, particularly in the hills, and perhaps up to 30cm very locally. An Amber warning has been issued where the greatest risk of disruption is between Thursday night and Friday morning, but updates may be required as confidence in the exact track of Storm Goretti increases.”
travel interruption
Hundreds of schools in northern Scotland will remain closed as much of the country braces for more snow and icy conditions. Some rural areas were completely cut off and transportation was seriously affected by weather conditions.
Pupils in the Highlands were due to return from the bank holiday on Wednesday, but many will enjoy an extra day off with more than 120 schools closed due to the weather.
Snowy conditions disrupted road, air and rail transportation across the country; Some train lines were closed due to heavy snowfall drifting onto the rails.
London North Eastern Railway (LNER) has reported 24 travel disruptions as heavy snowfall continues to disrupt services in northern Scotland.
While Network Rail has advised that the line north of Edinburgh has reopened, LNER said that “customers should NOT travel between Edinburgh and Aberdeen” as trains “may be delayed, canceled or changed at short notice and/or overcrowding may occur”.
Police Scotland stated that the impact of the snow will be felt in the north and north-east of Scotland in the next few days and urged people to follow travel advice.
Assistant Chief Constable Alan Waddell said: “Local resilience partnerships continue to meet to coordinate and respond to the disruption experienced by communities in the north and north-east of Scotland following heavy snowfall at the weekend.
“We are working closely with resilience partners in local authorities, other emergency services partners, transport partners, the NHS and health and social care partnerships and other local organizations to support communities affected by adverse weather and keep public services open where possible.
“Some services may be affected by adverse weather conditions and I would encourage members of the public to check on neighbors or relatives if they can do so safely.”
