Storm Goretti 'snow bomb' barrels towards Britain: Up to one foot of snow, 90mph winds and black ice to hit the UK - as train operators already axing services | Retrui News | Retrui
Storm Goretti 'snow bomb' barrels towards Britain: Up to one foot of snow, 90mph winds and black ice to hit the UK - as train operators already axing services
SOURCE:Daily Mail
Weather warnings for snow and wind were upgraded on Wednesday from yellow to amber and will come into force from 5pm on Thursday amid fears over widespread travel chaos.
Storm Goretti will hit Britain on Thursday with up to a foot of snow and 90mph wind gusts as the Met Office warned conditions will be worse than expected.
Weather warnings for snow and wind were upgraded on Wednesday from yellow to amber and will come into force from 5pm on Thursday amid fears over widespread travel chaos.
The storm is now set to undergo rapid cyclogenesis, also known as a 'weather bomb', when the central pressure of a low-pressure system falls 24 millibars in 24 hours.
Rail operators have announced advance line closures, with TransPennine Express saying the route between Manchester Piccadilly and Sheffield via Stockport will shut from 6pm Thursday until the start of Saturday with no replacement buses running.
Avanti West Coast will impose a reduced timetable on services from 3pm on Thursday and encouraged passengers to travel Wednesday instead as it braced for disruption.
The Met Office has issued an amber snow warning from 8pm Thursday until 9am on Friday, covering parts of Wales, the Midlands and South Yorkshire.
The blizzard conditions could mean trains and planes are delayed or cancelled while rural communities are cut off, along with power cuts or disruption to mobile signal.
The warning stretches from Sheffield down to Leicester, across much of the West Midlands and into Wales - and is in addition to a yellow alert covering a bigger area.
Traffic on the A9 in the Highlands in heavy snowfall on Wednesday as severe weather caused disruption
Lost Earth Adventures instructor Mick Ellerton climbs a frozen waterfall in Gordale Scar near Malham Cove in the Yorkshire Dales National Park on Wednesday as ice warnings remain in place
A man clears the snow from his car at Glenmore by Loch Morlich in the Highlands on January 07, 2025
The Streetly Gate car park at Sutton Park in Sutton Coldfield turned into an ice rink due to the plummeting temperatures
A worker clears snow from a road in the Aberdeenshire village of Drumoak on Wednesday
Two people skate across a frozen flood plain at Port Meadow in Oxford on Wednesday
Storm Goretti (named by Météo‑France) is expected to bring a spell of wet and windy weather across parts of the country on Thursday and into Friday. With cold air in situ across the UK, rain is likely to turn readily to snow in places
Forecasters said accumulations of 10cm (4in) to 15cm (6in) are 'likely fairly widely' within the amber warning - with between 20cm (8in) and 30cm (1ft) possible in some locations, mainly on hills above 200m (650ft) elevation in Wales and the Peak District.
Snow will ease through the course of Friday morning, turning more to rain or sleet at times at low levels, but disruption is likely to persist after the snow stops falling.
An amber warning for high winds has also been issued for the tip of Cornwall on Thursday from 5pm until 11pm, which means there will be a 'danger to life' from large waves and debris being thrown onto beachfront roads and properties.
Snow-hit Scottish village endures 'worst winter in 24 years'
A village in Aberdeenshire has seen a foot of snow in 'one of the worst winters in 25 years', according to locals.
Doug Griffin, 58, has lived in Insch, Aberdeenshire, for 25 years, and said the weather conditions - which have caused the village to be cut off - are 'remarkable' and 'exceptional'.
He said that while residents are used to snow, the drifts today were currently 30cm (1ft) deep, and had been higher yesterday before they thawed.
Mr Griffin, a father-of-two who works from home for the North Sea Transition Authority, said that on Tuesday the drifts had been around 50cm deep.
He said that a snow plough had cleared the entrance to the local Co-Op, which he photographed on Tuesday evening with piles of snow reaching almost to the roof.
Mr Griffin said: 'It has been a long time since we have had anything like this, it is very different here. We moved up to the north-east 25 years ago, the first winter was quite bad, 2010 was quite bad, but this might be the worst.
'I was going round to the Co-Op to get some stuff, and it took my breath away. They ploughed the road, I think they had cleared some of the car park. I think there's about 30cm of snow lying everywhere at the moment.
'It is slightly wetter today, and I think some of the snow in Aberdeen has gone. At my front door, the depth is about 30cm. We are snowed in, we have not been able to get out of the village for a few days.'
He said that a snow plough had cleared the road on Monday, but that delivery lorries struggled to reach the village due to being around two miles from the A96, and compared the situation at the local supermarket to the food shortages during the pandemic.
Mr Griffin said: 'The snow is not going away, it is going to be well below freezing. It looks like it may be milder next week. There has been nothing like this since 2010, it is quite remarkable. It makes it really difficult to do anything.
'There were people getting frustrated last night because the shop hadn't stocked up. We are not used to it. We do get snow, but it is nothing like this, it is exceptional. People are helping each other out, my wife has been to see our elderly neighbours.
'I think it's a bit like Covid - a lot of the shelves are completely empty. Lorries can't get to the Co-Op as they can't get to the road. Insch is about two miles from the A96 - when they turn into places like this, they can't get in. It has not been the start of the year we would have wanted.'
The warning covers the Scilly Isles and parts of Cornwall including Truro and Newquay, with gusts of 80mph to 90mph expected in the most exposed areas.
Further yellow warnings for snow and wind are in place for large parts of England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland for Thursday.
Met Office meteorologist Alex Burkill said on Wednesday: 'Storm Goretti is on its way arriving later tomorrow and affecting us through tomorrow and into Friday, bringing some strong winds and some significant snow to central and perhaps southern parts.'
He explained that the storm will bring 'wet, windy and wintry weather' to parts of the UK.
'As that rain pushes its way and it hits against that cold air that we currently have across us... and so on the northern edge, we are likely to see some fairly significant snow as we go through later tomorrow [Thursday] and into Friday,' Mr Burkill added.
He said exactly how far north this travels is 'all to play for', adding: 'Exactly where we see that significant snow, that's still a little bit uncertain, but the risk is there.'
National Highways issued an amber snow alert for the Midlands, from 6pm Thursday until 9am on Friday, amid concerns for drivers on routes around Birmingham across to Leicester and Nottingham. The warning stated: 'You may wish to delay your journey.'
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, though rain and strong winds also have the potential to bring disruption to many.
'Goretti will bring snow on its northern edge, this most likely over Wales and the Midlands. Here accumulations of 5 to 10cm are likely widely, with 15 to 25 cm in some places, especially hills, and perhaps up to 30cm very locally.
'An amber warning has been issued where the greatest risk of disruption is likely on Thursday night into Friday morning, though updates may be required as confidence increases in the exact track of Storm Goretti.'
Storm Goretti's influence will wane on Friday evening as the system moves to the east of England, before a short-lived interlude of calmer weather for many on Saturday with rain showers easing and sunny spells possible.
But Met Office deputy chief forecaster Mark Sidaway said the outlook becomes very uncertain by Sunday.
He explained: 'It'll remain cold or very cold to start the weekend, although for most it will be dry. We then have very large uncertainties in the forecast by Sunday and Monday as milder air from the Atlantic tries to displace the cold air over the UK.
'This set up brings a risk of some further widespread snowfall, so it's important to stay aware of the forecast and any warnings which may be issued over the next few days.'
It comes after Britons hit out at councils as they faced dangerously icy journeys after more snow and rain was followed by further sub-zero temperatures.
Commuters were furious at the lack of grit on pavements, roads and train stations as they tried to get to work in treacherous conditions that saw buses and lorries crash.
Some said platforms were 'like a sheet of ice' and causing people to fall, while others warned the 'death trap' surfaces were like an 'ice rink'. Among those tweeting about a lack of grit was one who said: 'We pay a fortune for council tax. Get on with it!'
In Berkshire on Wednesday, nine schoolchildren and eight adults were injured following a crash between a bus and a coach on the A3290 slip road in Earley near Reading at 8.25am.
The coach driver was among a total of 18 injured, and South Central Ambulance Service said its lead clinician 'reported road conditions were very icy at the scene'. There was a further two-car collision on the same road on Wednesday, but with no injuries.
Another bus full of schoolchildren in Kent also crashed into a ditch at 8am the same day after coming off an icy road at Chilmington Green in Ashford, but no one was injured.
In Nottingham, a lorry driver was hurt after his HGV smashed through a fence and plunged around 15ft from the road into the Glaisdale Drive East industrial estate.
NHS England said hospitals were 'seeing more injuries from slips and falls due to the icy conditions' while the cold was also impacting people with respiratory problems.
The Met Office warned people could be hurt from slips and falls on icy surfaces and issued a yellow ice warning for almost all of the UK which ran overnight.
In Plymouth, a woman needed emergency treatment from Devon Air Ambulance after suffering a serious leg injury when she slipped on an icy pavement. She was given pain relief and South Western Ambulance Service took her to Derriford Hospital.
West Midlands Police on Wednesday said it had received 'a number of reports of collisions as a result of the icy morning', while Leicestershire Police said the roads were 'very dangerous' and told of 'several reports of treacherous conditions and road traffic collisions'.
Dyfed-Powys Police urged motorists to 'only travel if your journey is necessary'.
In Buckinghamshire, a steep road between Little Chalfont and Amersham called Bell Lane has been closed by police after a reported 12 accidents on the same stretch.
A Stagecoach bus carrying schoolchildren crashed into a ditch near Ashford in Kent on Wendesday
A lorry slid off the road and into an industrial estate on Glaisdale Drive in Nottingham on Wednesday
A commuter slips over on an icy pavement while walking through Little Venice in London on January 07, 2025
Some 18 people were injured in a crash on the A3290 slip road in Earley near Reading on Wednesday
A Stagecoach bus carrying schoolchildren crashed into a ditch near Ashford in Kent on January 07, 2025
A lorry slid off the road and into an industrial estate on Glaisdale Drive in Nottingham on Wedneday
The road had been gritted, but local residents said it became too dangerous - with the added problem of a water leak cascading water down the hill and freezing.
At least 400 schools in northern Scotland were closed on Wednesday, while KLM and British Airways flights between the UK and Amsterdam were badly disrupted, with dozens axed - including 29 at London Heathrow, nine at Aberdeen and six at Edinburgh.
Flights to and from Paris Charles de Gaulle also faced cancellations on Wednesday morning, while several Eurostar trains to France and the Netherlands were axed due to the conditions. In the UK, the weather also disrupted LNER, ScotRail and Southeastern.
How do we name storms and why has Storm Goretti got a French name?
Large parts of England and Wales are braced for heavy snow on Thursday brought by the strong winds of Storm Goretti.
Here is everything you need to know about why storms are named, how a name is chosen, and why Storm Goretti was given a French name.
- Why do we name storms?
In 2015, the Met Office launched a scheme inviting the public to suggest names for storms, to raise awareness of the dangers of severe weather.
The forecaster said using a single, recognisable name for a storm helps the public better understand the risks and take action to keep themselves safe.
- When is a storm named?
The decision is linked to weather warnings. If a storm is disruptive or dangerous enough for an amber or red warning to be issued, the Met Office gives it a name.
Named storms are often expected to bring strong winds, heavy rain that could lead to flooding, or significant snowfall.
- How is a name chosen?
The Met Office uses suggestions from the public to agree a list of names for the year ahead, working together with Irish forecaster Met Eireann, and Dutch forecaster KNMI as the storm naming group for western Europe.
A name is avoided if it is too difficult to pronounce, has different meanings in different countries, or if it is associated with a private company, public figure, or a storm that has previously caused loss of life.
The US National Hurricane Centre does not use storm names beginning with the letters Q, U, X, Y or Z, so, for consistency in the North Atlantic, neither does the Met Office.
The alphabetical list, which runs from early September until late August the following year, alternates between male and female names. So far this season, the UK has been hit by storms Amy, Benjamin, Claudia, Bram, and now Goretti.
- Why are we using the French name for Storm Goretti?
With the worst of Storm Goretti's high winds expected over northern France, the storm was named by French forecaster Meteo France.
To avoid confusion and ensure consistent messaging across borders, the UK forecaster is using the same name for the storm.
It is the third storm this season that has been named by another European forecaster, with the Met Office adopting Meteo France's name for Storm Benjamin in October.
In November, Storm Claudia, which brought heavy and persistent rain to the UK, was named by the Spanish Meteorologial Service after it severely impacted the Canary Islands.
- How do other European countries name storms?
Spain, Portugal, France, Belgium and Luxembourg work together to name storms in south-western Europe, while Norway, Sweden and Denmark agree names for storms in the north of the continent.
It comes as the number of people working from home in Britain is thought to have risen sharply this week compared to the same time last year as commutes have been disrupted, according to data from Virgin Media O2.
Its figures revealed broadband traffic was up by 17 per cent yesterday compared with the same Tuesday in 2025 - a significant increase as more workers have stayed home amid the bad weather.
Meanwhile a neighbour was filmed destroying a 4ft snowman with a shovel on Monday, after father Steve Curtis had spent 45 minutes building it as a surprise for his five-year-old son Jacob.
Overnight into Wednesday, clear skies developed across Britain after a band of rain cleared to the South East – leaving icy patches on untreated roads, pavements and cycle paths.
The Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Hertfordshire Road Policing Unit tweeted a video of an officer slipping over on the ice, with the caption: 'Icy conditions are a disaster waiting to happen. He won't be applying for Dancing on Ice anytime soon.'
In South East London, Niall Saville tweeted: 'Just seen two people slip over outside Sydenham station, while on the platform. The second looking pretty badly hurt. Must be like an ice rink out there. Got the station staff to help her but nasty.'
Meanwhile X user Alison Graham told Newcastle City Council to 'grit your pavements in town - bad lighting and frost/black ice are not a good combination. I've already slipped this morning as I was walking towards the Haymarket bus station.'
And in Surrey, Wayne Searle tweeted Woking Council to say: 'Having seen three people slip on black ice this morning (pre 7am), I respectfully suggest that you grit the pedestrian path from the Victoria Theatre to Brewery Road car park urgently! The proximity of the black ice to the main road is perilous!'
One commuter based in Islington, North London, tweeted: '£397 a month council tax and they can't even put a bit of grit in the roads. Death trap out there today.'
Another, Andrea Edan, tweeted Brent Council to say: 'Ice on pavements on Barnhill this morning. No salt or grit. Very slippery. Isn't this what we pay council tax for?'
And Simon O'Farrell, based in Richmond, South West London, said: 'Disgraceful lack of gritting around Whitton. Roads and pavements icy. People sliding around all over the place. It's winter, it's icy. We pay a fortune for council tax. Get on with it!'
In Derby, Conservatives leader Steve Hassall told the BBC that he had received an 'unprecedented' level of complaints from residents about dangerous roads and pavements and claimed parts of the city had been 'cut off'.
He said: 'The gritting provision during this cold snap has really fallen well short of what people expect, and it appears the absolute minimum of routes have been gritted.
'We've had a car rolled in Allestree, people slipping and tripping, car parks in particular have been a real pinch point for people.
'The roads are now getting back into full time use after the Christmas break, they need to be out there gritting every road that they can. It's really brought into sharp focus the inadequacies of the gritting provision over the last few days.'
But Derby City Council defended its gritting operation, adding that it had been gritting roads 'almost daily' since Christmas and would continue monitoring road conditions ahead of tomorrow's storm.
Responding on behalf of councils, a Local Government Association spokesman told the Daily Mail: 'Cold weather periods can risk the health of some groups of people, particularly older people, very young children and those with serious medical conditions.
'Councils are urging people to check in on their older and vulnerable neighbours, friends and relatives who may need more help during the cold, snow and ice.
'Local councils are well prepared for the colder weather keeping miles of roads gritted and open for safe travel, and specialist teams will continue to visit vulnerable residents to ensure they are safe and well at home.'
Workers clear pavements in Aboyne, Aberdeenshire, on Wednesday morning following heavy snowfall
A frosty platform at Pollokshaws East railway station in Glasgow on Wednesday morning
A polar bear in the show at Kincraig Wildlife Park in the Scottish Highlands enjoys the snowy weather
Children are spotted playing on a frozen pond in the village of Headcorn near Ashford in Kent
Robert Hazell, 77, of London, skates across a frozen flood plain at Port Meadow in Oxford
A Network Rail snowplough reaches Lairg station on the Inverness to Wick line this afternoon
An Arctic air mass has brought heavy snow to the UK in recent days, with the biggest accumulations in Aberdeenshire where a major incident was declared this week - with Wednesday the seventh consecutive day of snow for some communities.
Snow has also fallen across England, including in London, while overnight temperatures have been below zero - with a low of -5.9C (21.4F) reported in the Highlands on Wednesday.
A further 20cm (8in) of snow could fall on higher ground in northern Scotland, where a 24-hour snow and ice warning has been imposed until midnight.
Who is responsible for gritting roads?
The 174 highways authorities across England and Wales – made up of county, unitary, metropolitan and London borough councils - are responsible for gritting nine out of every ten miles of road, equating to about 225,000 miles across the UK.
The Highways Agency covers motorways and major A roads, while Transport for London (TfL) covers arterial trunk roads in the capital.
A gritter lorry near Inverness last Friday
The Local Government Association (LGA) says councils cannot grit all roads because this would cost hundreds of millions of extra pounds – while many roads are also too narrow or steep for gritting lorries to navigate.
For the roads that councils do not grit, the LGA says the authorities supply local grit bins for residents and work with parish councils and community groups to grit more residential or remote areas.
Most pavements are considered highways and so fall under the remit of councils, with decisions on which surfaces to treat based on factors such as how frequently and by how many people they are used.
Some 52cm (1ft 8in) of snow has already fallen at Tomintoul in Banffshire this week, while the temperature at Marham in Norfolk dropped to -12.5C (9.5F) yesterday - the lowest reading in the village since 2013.
Temperatures in recent days have been about 4C to 10C below the average for early January.
The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has extended amber cold health alerts for England until Sunday amid ongoing fears over a 'rise in deaths' due to the weather.
Met Office forecaster Marco Petagna said: 'In the ice warnings, be careful of slippery surfaces and potential for injuries, so take care on footpaths.
'Icy patches could affect untreated roads, not all roads and pavements and cycle paths are treated so just be aware that away from major highways there could be icy and slippery conditions for a while tomorrow morning.'
The Met Office has advised those travelling this morning to check road conditions, bus and train timetables and amend travel plans if necessary.
A yellow warning means some disruption is possible, such as travel delays, but many people can continue with their daily routine, according to the forecaster.
Heavy snow in the first part of this week led to hundreds of schools being closed across northern Scotland yesterday, and while many are set to reopen today, disruption continues in many areas.
This includes hundreds across Aberdeenshire, where all schools and council-run nurseries will remain closed, along with dozens of schools in Moray and Aberdeen and a number of those in Orkney and Shetland.
Pupils in the Highlands were due to return from the Christmas and New Year break today but many will have another extra day off.
The Highland Council said 21 secondary schools, 119 primaries, 93 nurseries and three special schools were closed today - a total of 236 education settings.
It comes before a yellow weather warning for snow, expected in a large part of England covering Sheffield, Peterborough, Bath and Worcester, and in much of Wales, will be in place from 6pm tomorrow until midday on Friday.
The severe wintry weather will be brought by the strong winds over northern France, named Storm Goretti by the country's forecaster, Meteo France.
Snow is likely to develop over higher ground in south Wales late tomorrow, before rain turns to snow more widely across England and Wales overnight.
A woman walks her dog in Aboyne, Aberdeenshire, today following further snowfall overnight
Workers clear pavements in Aboyne, Aberdeenshire, this morning following heavy snowfall
A frosty platform at Pollokshaws East railway station in Glasgow this morning
A member of the public walks a dog in the snow in the Aberdeenshire village of Drumoak today
Some areas could see 5cm (2in) to 10cm (4in) of snow settle, while others could see as much as 20cm (8in).
Storm Goretti is also expected to bring disruption in South West England, with a yellow warning for strong winds in place for Cornwall, Devon and the Isles of Scilly from 3pm tomorrow until just before midnight.
The recent drop in temperature has triggered cold weather payments for hundreds of thousands of households, designed to help elderly and vulnerable people with heating costs, the Government said.
Eligible households automatically receive £25 when temperatures are recorded or forecast to be zero degrees or below over seven consecutive days.
Payments will support households in 451 postcode areas in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, including Penrith in Cumbria, the Yorkshire Dales, Norwich in Norfolk, Milton Keynes in Buckinghamshire, and Crawley in West Sussex.
Cold weather payments have been triggered on five separate days, December 30, January 1, January 2, January 3 and January 6, and have been triggered twice for households in parts of Cumbria and Northumberland, which stand to receive a £50 payout.
Aberdeenshire Council has declared a major incident as the region deals with ongoing heavy snow.
The local authority says there is a 'good chance' some rural communities will be cut off and there may be power cuts. Schools in the area will be also closed for a third day today.
Several Eurostar trains were cancelled due to 'adverse weather conditions' today - including services from London St Pancras to Amsterdam, Rotterdam and Paris.
Rail operator LNER, which runs trains on the East Coast Mainline, has extended its advice to passengers not to travel between Edinburgh and Aberdeen as they 'cannot guarantee' trains will operate until this Friday at the earliest.
Passengers using Southeastern trains in Kent were also delayed by ice preventing a train from getting electricity from the third rail between Maidstone East and Ashford.
Network Rail Scotland said the vast majority of Scotland's railway was open today, though there are still 'challenges due to deep snow' between Inverness and Kyle of Lochalsh and Inverness to Wick/Thurso.
On the roads, Highland Council said the A836 Lairg to Tongue road is shut due to drifting snow at Crask and north of Altnaharra, while Traffic Scotland said snow gates are shut at the Spittal of Glenshee to Braemar, Cock Bridge to Tomintoul, and at Bridge of Dye.
RAC breakdown spokesman Alice Simpson said: 'In these conditions, the key is allowing more time at every stage of the journey, whether that's clearing vehicles of snow and ice before setting off or reducing the speed at which you're travelling.
'Never be tempted to use hot water to clear a frozen windscreen which, rather than being a hack could actually lead to an expensive crack.
'Instead, leave more time before setting off and carry a decent scraper and de-icer so you can clear the windscreen quickly.
'It's important to have plenty of screen wash that protects down to at least minus 10 degrees, ensuring you always have a clear view due to all the dirt from gritted roads.'
Shaun Jones from the AA added: 'Motorists should be ready to adjust or even postpone travel plans if the conditions worsen. Storms can change quickly, and being flexible helps keep you and others safe.
'If forecasts show heavier snow or stronger winds moving into your area, consider delaying your journey or working from home where appropriate.
'Taking the time to plan ahead and making safety the priority will make a real difference as the storm continues to affect central England.'
Police Scotland said the impact of the snow is likely to be felt over the next few days in the north and north-east of Scotland, urging people to follow travel advice.
Assistant chief constable Alan Waddell said: 'Local resilience partnerships are continuing to meet to co-ordinate and deliver the response to disruption experienced by communities in the north and north-east of Scotland following heavy snowfall over the weekend.
'We have been working closely with resilience partners across local authorities, other emergency service partners, transport partners, NHS and health and social care partnerships, and other local organisations to support communities affected by adverse weather and keep public services open where possible.
'Some services may be impacted by adverse weather and I would encourage the public to check on neighbours or relatives, if they are able to do so safely.'
Ministers met police, local authorities, utilities companies and other bodies yesterday to discuss the response to the severe weather.
Justice Secretary Angela Constance, who chaired the meeting, said 'difficult conditions' are expected to remain this week, and ministers will 'continue to closely monitor the situation and to engage with local partners in severely affected areas'.
Posting on social media, John Swinney said: 'Please be aware of amber warning of snow affecting much of the north of Scotland today and the yellow warning of snow and ice across most of Scotland.
'I am very grateful to all public bodies and volunteers for the support that is being provided. Please stay safe.'
The First Minister had earlier paid tribute to the 'truly exceptional' efforts of farmers, volunteers and members of the public in helping clear roads, dig out cars and keep people safe, which he said showed 'heartening' community spirit.