The Met Office has issued rare red and amber weather warnings as Storm Goretti, described as a 'weather bomb', brings winds of up to 100mph and heavy snow across parts of the UK. The storm, the first named of 2026, is expected to be more powerful than Storm Ciarán in 2023 and the Great Storm of 1987.
A red warning for 'dangerous, stormy' winds is in place 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 the area, warning of potential danger to life and property.
Up to 30cm of snow is expected in Wales and the Midlands, with Birmingham Airport suspending runway operations due to heavy snow. Amber warnings cover much of England and Wales, with travel disruption, power cuts and damage to buildings expected. More than 47,000 properties were without power in the south-west by Thursday evening.
The storm, named by Météo France, intensified rapidly, with its central pressure dropping by 36 millibars in 24 hours – well above the 24-millibar threshold for a 'weather bomb'. The worst conditions are expected overnight, easing on Friday.
National Rail has cancelled services across Wales, Cornwall and north-west England, while 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 likely rise in deaths, particularly among the elderly and vulnerable.
