Storm Goretti, the first named storm of the year, has brought heavy snow and winds of up to 99mph to parts of the UK. The Met Office has issued new weather warnings for snow and ice, with the amber 'danger to life' warning for snow now lifted.
As of midday Friday, three warnings remain: a snow and ice warning for Scotland, the North East, and East Midlands until 3pm Saturday; an ice warning for the West Midlands, Wales, and parts of the North West and South West until midday Saturday; and a snow and ice warning for Northern Ireland until 11am Saturday. A new yellow warning for ice and snow has been issued for Sunday covering Scotland, North East England, and parts of the North West.
The storm has caused significant travel disruption, with Birmingham airport closing one runway and Avanti West Coast advising 'do not travel' on Midlands routes until 1pm Friday. East Midlands Railway has closed the Hope Valley line between Sheffield and Manchester all day. Hundreds of schools remain closed, and some rural areas are cut off.
The UK Health Security Agency has issued amber cold health alerts for all of England until Monday, warning of a rise in deaths, particularly among those aged 65 and over. Dr Agostinho Sousa urged people to check on vulnerable neighbours. Chief forecaster Neil Armstrong said accumulations of 5-10cm of snow are likely widely, with up to 30cm locally in hills.
