The United Kingdom is grappling with a severe and 'multi-hazard' weather crisis as Storm Goretti sweeps across the nation, prompting the Met Office to issue an extremely rare red warning for wind. The storm is unleashing violent gusts exceeding 100mph and dumping up to 30cm of snow, causing widespread travel chaos, power outages, and significant disruption to daily life.
Red Alert and Widespread Disruption
A red severe weather warning for wind is active until 11pm on Thursday 9th January 2026 for Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly. The Met Office warns this signifies a high risk to life from flying debris and damage to buildings, alongside major disruptions to transport and power supplies. Chief Forecaster Neil Armstrong described Storm Goretti as a complex and dangerous event, with violent gusts potentially persisting for two to three hours.
Record-breaking winds of 99mph were recorded at St Mary's Airport on the Isles of Scilly, setting a new site record. Emergency alerts have been sent to approximately half a million people in the red warning zone, urging them to take immediate action to stay safe.
Transport Network in Turmoil
The storm's impact on travel has been severe and multi-faceted. In the air, London Heathrow, Birmingham Airport, and East Midlands Airport have all suspended flights due to heavy snow and dangerous conditions, leading to dozens of cancellations and delays.
On the rails, all train services in Cornwall were suspended from 6pm on Thursday, with Great Western Railway warning of continued disruption until Friday afternoon. National Rail reports widespread issues across England, Wales, and Scotland, with West Midlands Railway advising customers not to travel until Friday afternoon at the earliest. Key routes like those between Birmingham and Liverpool Lime Street are suspended.
Road travel is equally perilous. The M1 northbound is closed between junctions 28 and 29 due to a lorry crash and settling snow, while the A42 southbound is shut with cars stranded and hour-long delays. The Tamar Bridge connecting Devon and Cornwall has been closed to all traffic as winds made it unsafe. Fallen trees are blocking major routes like the A30 in Cornwall.
Power Cuts and Community Impact
The ferocious weather has knocked out power for tens of thousands of homes. The National Grid's outage map shows over 65,000 properties without electricity, with the majority (56,000) in south-west England. A further 11,000 are affected in the West Midlands and 2,600 in Wales.
Education has been heavily disrupted, with dozens of schools across the Midlands and Wales closed on Friday due to the amber snow warning. In Scotland, more than 250 schools will remain shut, some for a fifth consecutive day, affecting pupils across Aberdeenshire, the Highlands, Aberdeen, and Moray.
National Highways has issued a severe weather alert for the West and East Midlands, warning of up to 15cm of snow around Birmingham, Leicester, and Nottingham. The public is urged to check routes and travel with extreme caution if journeys are essential.
As Storm Goretti continues to track across the country, authorities are pleading with the public to heed warnings, avoid travel unless absolutely necessary, and follow advice from emergency services and local councils. The combination of destructive winds and heavy snow represents one of the most significant weather threats to the UK in recent years.
