The UK is bracing for a major bout of wintry weather as Storm Goretti prepares to sweep in with heavy snow and strong winds later this week. This comes after the nation shivered through its coldest night of the winter so far, with temperatures plummeting to a bone-chilling -12.5°C overnight on Monday.
Widespread Warnings and Impending Disruption
The Met Office has issued a series of severe weather alerts in anticipation of the storm's arrival. A yellow weather warning for snow will be active from 6pm on Thursday until midday on Friday, covering a large swathe of England including Sheffield, Peterborough, Bath, and Worcester, as well as much of Wales.
Forecasters warn that snow is likely to develop over higher ground in South Wales late on Thursday, before rain turns to snow more widely across England and Wales overnight. Some regions could see accumulations of 5-10cm, with the potential for up to 20cm in some areas.
Storm Goretti, named by Météo-France, will also bring disruptive winds to the southwest. A separate yellow warning for strong winds is in place for Cornwall, Devon and the Isles of Scilly from 3pm on Thursday until just before midnight.
Cold Weather Payments Activated for Vulnerable Households
The sustained freeze has triggered the Government's cold weather payment scheme, providing vital financial support for heating costs to hundreds of thousands of elderly and vulnerable households. Eligible homes automatically receive £25 when temperatures are recorded or forecast to be zero degrees or below for seven consecutive days.
Payments have been activated for 451 postcode areas across England, Wales, and Northern Ireland, including Penrith, the Yorkshire Dales, Norwich, Milton Keynes, and Crawley. With the scheme triggered on five separate days so far—December 30, and January 1, 2, 3, and 6—some households in parts of Cumbria and Northumberland are set to receive a £50 payout.
Travel Chaos and School Closures Follow Deep Freeze
The new storm threat follows a day of significant disruption caused by the extreme cold. Tuesday saw hundreds of schools forced to close across Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland. National Rail reported widespread cancellations and delays, with LNER advising customers not to travel between Edinburgh and Aberdeen, and no services running north of Edinburgh until after 2pm.
The record low of -12.5°C was recorded in Marham, Norfolk. Other notably low readings included -10°C in Santon Downham, Suffolk, and Topcliffe, North Yorkshire, while Scotland saw lows of -11.2°C in Dalwhinnie. In Snowdonia, Bala recorded -9.6°C. Loch Glascarnoch saw significant snowfall, with 36cm recorded.
With icy patches expected to persist into Wednesday and the UK Health Security Agency's amber cold health alert extended until Sunday, authorities are urging the public to stay updated on forecasts and prepare for further disruption as Storm Goretti arrives.
