The Met Office has issued a rare red 'danger to life' weather warning as Storm Goretti hits the UK, bringing 100mph winds and heavy snow. The alert covers Cornwall from 4pm to 11pm on Thursday, warning of life-threatening flying debris, travel disruption, and large waves threatening coastal homes.
Storm Goretti, named by Meteo France, is described as a 'multi-hazard event' by the Met Office. Up to 30cm of snow is possible in parts of Wales and the Midlands, with wind gusts of up to 100mph in the South West. Weather warnings for snow, wind, rain, and ice have been issued across the country.
Met Office chief forecaster Neil Armstrong said: 'Storm Goretti will be a multi-hazard event, with the most significant impacts from snow in parts of Wales and the Midlands and the very strong winds in the far South West.' He added that accumulations of 10-15cm of snow are likely widely, with 20-30cm possible on higher ground.
The storm is expected to bring a 'weather bomb', with a pressure drop of 36 millibars in 24 hours, well above the 24-millibar threshold. Winds could be stronger than recent storms like Ciaran in 2023 and Eunice in 2022. An amber snow warning is in place from 8pm Thursday to 9am Friday for parts of Wales, the Midlands, and South Yorkshire.
In preparation, Network Rail and East Midlands Railway will close branch lines from 8pm Thursday, with services not expected to resume before 10am Friday. Two Night Riviera Sleeper services have been cancelled. Dan Matthews, Network Rail operations director, said: 'We are doing everything we can to prepare the railway for the impacts from Storm Goretti.'
