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’. The storm is expected to bring up to 30cm of snow 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 gusts of 99mph were recorded at St Mary’s airport – a new record for the site. An emergency alert was sent to mobile phones in these areas. The storm is predicted to be more powerful than Storm Ciarán in 2023 and the Great Storm of 1987.
Birmingham Airport suspended runway operations due to heavy snow on Thursday night. More than 47,000 properties were without power in the south-west, with further outages in the West Midlands and Wales. National Grid advised residents to keep torches and charged phones ready for potential power cuts.
Amber snow warnings cover much of Wales, the West Midlands, and South Yorkshire, with up to 20cm expected in South Yorkshire. The warnings are in force from 8pm Thursday to 9am Friday. Yellow warnings for wind and rain extend across southern and eastern England. National Highways issued an amber snow warning for the Midlands, warning of difficult driving conditions in Birmingham, Leicester and Nottingham.
Rail services have been cancelled in Wales, Cornwall and north-west England, with Eurostar routes likely to face delays. Jersey and Guernsey airports will close at 6pm. The UK Health Security Agency has issued amber cold weather health alerts until 11 January, warning of a potential rise in deaths, particularly among the elderly and vulnerable.
