The Met Office has issued red and amber weather warnings across the UK as Storm Goretti, the first named storm of 2026, intensifies into a 'weather bomb'. Up to 30cm of snow is expected in Wales and the Midlands, with winds reaching 100mph in Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly.
A rare red warning for dangerous winds has been issued for Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly, where a record wind speed of 99mph was recorded at St Mary's airport. The storm is expected to be more powerful than Storm Ciarán in 2023 and the Great Storm of 1987, according to the Met Office.
Birmingham Airport suspended runway operations due to heavy snow, and more than 47,000 properties were without power in the south-west by 9pm. National Grid advised residents to keep torches and charged phones ready. An emergency alert was sent to mobile phones in the Isles of Scilly and Cornwall.
Amber cold weather health alerts are in place until 11 January, with officials warning of a rise in deaths, particularly among those aged 65 and over. Rail services have been cancelled across Wales, Cornwall, and north-west England, while Jersey and Guernsey airports will close at 6pm.
The storm, named by Météo France, is expected to peak overnight before waning on Friday. Yellow warnings for wind, snow, and rain cover large parts of England and Wales, with National Highways issuing an amber snow warning for the Midlands.
