Red and amber weather warnings have been issued across the UK as Storm Goretti, the first named storm of 2026, evolves into a 'weather bomb' bringing up to 30cm of snow in Wales and the Midlands, and winds of up to 100mph in Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly. The Met Office described it as a 'multi-hazard event', expected to be more powerful than Storm Ciarán in 2023 and the Great Storm of 1987.
A rare red warning for 'dangerous, stormy' winds came into force on Thursday evening for Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly, where 99mph gusts were recorded at St Mary's airport—a new site record. An emergency alert was issued to mobile phones in the Isles of Scilly at 3pm and in Cornwall at 5pm. The amber snow warning covers areas from Sheffield to Leicester, across the West Midlands and most of Wales, from 8pm Thursday to 9am Friday.
Birmingham Airport suspended its runway due to heavy snow on Thursday night. Over 47,000 properties lost power in the south-west, with 5,000 in the West Midlands and 2,000 in Wales. National Grid advised keeping torches and charged phones ready. Rail services were cancelled across Wales, Cornwall, and north-west England, and Eurostar routes faced delays. Jersey and Guernsey airports closed at 6pm, while major airports remained operational.
The storm, named by Météo France, is expected to drop 36 millibars in 24 hours—well above the 24-millibar threshold for a weather bomb. The worst weather will hit overnight before waning on Friday. Yellow warnings for wind and snow cover much of England and Wales, with rain warnings for eastern England and west Wales. Amber cold weather health alerts are in place until 11 January, with officials expecting a rise in deaths, particularly among the elderly and vulnerable.
National Highways issued an amber snow warning for the Midlands, advising difficult driving conditions in Birmingham, Leicester, and Nottingham. Dŵr Cymru and Scottish Water advised against running outdoor taps, urging customers to protect exposed pipes instead. Meanwhile, Scotland focused on recovery after days of heavy snow, though the storm's main impact was on England and Wales.
