The United Kingdom is on alert for significant winter disruption as a severe cold snap tightens its grip, prompting widespread weather warnings and travel advisories. An Arctic air mass has driven temperatures down to as low as -12.5°C, with the looming threat of heavy snow from an approaching storm named Goretti.
Nationwide Warnings and Impending Snowfall
The Met Office has implemented yellow ice warnings for most of the UK, including Northern Ireland, for Wednesday morning. A separate yellow warning for snow and ice covers northern Scotland all day Wednesday, where an additional 5-10cm of snow is anticipated. Temperatures are forecast to plunge to -6°C in parts of rural Scotland overnight, with widespread freezing conditions.
The situation is expected to escalate from Thursday evening, when a more extensive yellow warning for snow comes into force. This alert covers a large swathe of England, including cities like Sheffield, Peterborough, Bath, and Worcester, as well as much of Wales. It will remain active from 6pm on Thursday until midday on Friday.
Storm Goretti's Disruptive Path
The severe wintry conditions will be driven by strong winds associated with Storm Goretti, named by Météo-France. Forecasters predict snow will develop over higher ground in south Wales late Thursday, before rain turns to snow more widely across England and Wales overnight. Some regions could see 5-10cm of settling snow, with the potential for accumulations of up to 20cm in certain areas.
South-west England faces a dual threat, with a yellow warning for strong winds issued for Cornwall, Devon, and the Isles of Scilly from Thursday afternoon until midnight. Marco Petagna, a Met Office forecaster, urged the public to exercise caution: "In the ice warnings, be careful of slippery surfaces and potential for injuries... Icy patches could affect untreated roads, not all roads and pavements and cycle paths are treated."
Travel Chaos and Support Payments Activated
The freezing conditions have already caused major travel disruption. Aberdeenshire Council has declared a major incident, warning that rural communities may be cut off and power cuts are possible. Schools there will remain closed for a third day on Wednesday.
Train services are severely affected. LNER has advised passengers not to travel between Edinburgh and Aberdeen until Friday at the earliest, while ScotRail has cancelled or disrupted services on several key Scottish routes, including between Inverness and Wick.
The RAC's Alice Simpson advised motorists to allow extra time, use proper de-icer, and ensure screenwash is suitable for sub-zero temperatures. The recent freeze has also triggered the government's cold weather payments scheme, providing £25 to eligible households in 451 postcode areas across England, Wales, and Northern Ireland. Some households in Cumbria and Northumberland will receive £50 after payments were triggered on multiple days.
Concurrently, the UK Health Security Agency has extended its amber cold health alerts for England until Sunday, serving as an early warning that the adverse temperatures are likely to impact health and social care services.
