Red and amber weather warnings have been issued across the UK as Storm Goretti, the first named storm of 2026, evolves into a 'weather bomb', bringing up to 30cm of snow in Wales and the Midlands and winds of up to 100mph (160km/h) in Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly.
The Met Office described Goretti as a 'multi-hazard event', expected to be more powerful than Storm Ciarán in 2023 and the Great Storm of 1987. Winds of 99mph were recorded at St Mary's airport on the Isles of Scilly, a new record for the site. A storm becomes a weather bomb when its central pressure drops by more than 24 millibars in 24 hours; Goretti was expected to drop by 36 millibars between 6pm on Wednesday and 6pm on Thursday.
The worst of the weather will hit overnight before the storm wanes on Friday. A rare red warning for 'dangerous, stormy' winds of up to 100mph in exposed and coastal areas has been issued for Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly for Thursday evening. An emergency alert was sent to mobile phones in the Isles of Scilly at approximately 3pm and in Cornwall at approximately 5pm.
More than 47,000 properties were without power in the south-west at about 9pm, according to National Grid, while 5,000 had no power in the West Midlands and 2,000 in Wales. Birmingham Airport suspended runway use due to heavy snow. National Rail cancelled all train services in parts of south-west England and warned of delays on Eurostar routes. Major airports except Jersey and Guernsey, which will close at 6pm, are expected to function normally.
Amber cold weather health alerts have been issued by the UK Health Security Agency until 11 January, with officials expecting a rise in deaths, particularly among those aged 65 and over or with health conditions. The Met Office warned of potential damage to buildings, power lines, and coastal threats from large waves.
