The UK is bracing for a major blast of wintry weather as Storm Goretti prepares to sweep in with heavy snow and strong winds later this week. This comes on the heels of the coldest night of the winter so far, which saw temperatures plunge to a bone-chilling minus 12.5 degrees Celsius.
Record Lows and Widespread Disruption
Overnight on Monday, the mercury dropped to its lowest point this season. The coldest spot was Marham in Norfolk, where the temperature hit -12.5°C. Other areas, including Santon Downham in Suffolk and Topcliffe in North Yorkshire, recorded lows of -10°C. In Scotland, Dalwhinnie and Tulloch Bridge saw temperatures fall to -11.2°C and -10.7°C respectively, while Bala in North Wales recorded -9.6°C.
The freezing conditions caused significant disruption across the nation. Hundreds of schools were forced to close in Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland on Tuesday morning. Train services on the Wirral and Northern lines, as well as across Scotland, faced cancellations and delays, with LNER advising customers not to travel between Edinburgh and Aberdeen. Breakdown services like the AA and RAC reported high demand from stranded motorists.
Storm Goretti's Icy Grip
Now, attention turns to the approaching Storm Goretti, named by Météo-France. The Met Office has issued a series of warnings, forecasting that the storm will bring a potent mix of snow and gale-force winds to large parts of the country.
A yellow weather warning for snow covers a vast swathe of England, including cities like Sheffield, Peterborough, Bath, and Worcester, as well as much of Wales. This warning is active from 6pm on Thursday until midday on Friday. Forecasters predict snow will develop over higher ground in South Wales late on Thursday, before turning to snow more widely across England and Wales overnight.
Accumulations are expected to be significant, with some areas seeing 5-10cm of snow and others potentially receiving up to 20cm. A separate yellow warning for strong winds is in place for Cornwall, Devon, and the Isles of Scilly from Thursday afternoon until midnight, warning of potential disruption.
Ongoing Warnings and Health Alert
The severe weather is not letting up. Yellow warnings for snow and ice remain across Wales, northeast and southwest England, Scotland, and Northern Ireland for much of Wednesday. An amber warning for heavy snow was in force for northeast and northern Scotland on Tuesday, indicating a higher risk of severe disruption, power cuts, and potential risk to life.
In response to the prolonged cold snap, the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has extended its amber cold health alerts for England until Sunday. This serves as an early warning that the adverse temperatures are likely to impact public health and wellbeing, particularly for vulnerable groups.
With further travel chaos and hazardous conditions likely as Storm Goretti arrives, the public is urged to stay updated on the latest Met Office warnings and plan their journeys carefully.
