The UK is bracing for further disruption as Storm Goretti is forecast to bring heavy snow and strong winds to parts of England and Wales on Thursday. The storm, named by French forecaster Météo France, follows days of travel chaos and school closures across the country.
Many areas are already reeling from severe weather, with more than 1,000 schools closed on Tuesday from Oxfordshire to Orkney. In Scotland, Aberdeen city council and Aberdeenshire council announced school closures for Wednesday, with Aberdeenshire declaring a major incident due to heavy snowfall. The local authority warned of potential power cuts and that some rural communities could be cut off.
The Met Office has issued yellow warnings for ice across most of England, Wales, and southern Scotland until Wednesday morning, and for Northern Ireland until 11am. A yellow warning for snow and ice remains in place for northern Scotland until midnight Wednesday, where up to 20cm of fresh snow is expected. Storm Goretti will bring strong winds to south-west England from Thursday afternoon, with a yellow warning for Cornwall, Devon, and the Isles of Scilly.
Snow warnings have been issued for large parts of England and Wales from Thursday evening until Friday midday, as a deep area of low pressure moves across the south. The severe weather has already caused disruptions, including the cancellation of seven midweek football matches in Scotland. Police Scotland urged people to follow travel advice, while Aberdeenshire council brought in additional equipment and salt reserves to clear routes.
Hundreds of thousands of households are receiving £25 cold weather payments, with those in Cumbria and Northumberland eligible for £50. The UK Health Security Agency extended an amber cold health alert for all regions of England until Sunday. Harriet Cross, Conservative MP for Gordon and Buchan, praised over 100 farmers and contractors for rescuing drivers and clearing roads in blizzard conditions, describing them as 'heroic' for their efforts.
