The Met Office has issued fresh yellow warnings for snow and ice across much of Scotland and northern England on Sunday, following the widespread disruption caused by Storm Goretti. The warning will come into force at 2am and last until 3pm, covering large parts of Scotland, the East and West Midlands, north-east and north-west England and Yorkshire.
A separate yellow warning for ice will affect large parts of England and Wales from midday Friday until midday Saturday, as partially thawed snow refreezes, accompanied by wintry showers and freezing fog. In Northern Ireland, a snow and ice warning runs from 5pm Friday to 11am Saturday, with icy patches and hill snow expected.
Storm Goretti brought hurricane-strength winds, rain and snow, causing severe travel disruption. Rail services were suspended, flights cancelled and schools closed across the UK. RNLI volunteers in Cornwall responded to seven incidents in what they described as the worst conditions they had ever seen. The government has been urged to convene the Cobra emergency committee to coordinate the response.
National Grid reported that extra engineers had been deployed to restore power to 169,380 properties in the south-west, Midlands and south Wales by Friday noon. Cornwall council advised residents to avoid travel due to numerous road closures from fallen trees and power lines. The roof of the Cornish Pirates rugby stadium in Penzance was damaged by the strong winds.
In Scotland, several days of intense snowfall and sub-zero temperatures led to school closures and travel disruption. First Minister John Swinney said efforts are now focused on recovery. Many local authorities in England and Wales activated the Severe Weather Emergency Protocol to provide emergency accommodation for rough sleepers. The Mayor of London activated the protocol on Friday, the second time this year.
