The United Kingdom is preparing for another bout of severe winter weather, with heavy snow and powerful winds forecast to cause significant disruption across large parts of England and Wales on Thursday.
Widespread Disruption and School Closures
This fresh threat from Storm Goretti follows days of travel chaos and widespread school closures that have affected the nation from Oxford to Orkney. On Tuesday, more than 1,000 schools were shut, with some pupils in northern Scotland enjoying an extended break. The situation remains critical in the north-east, where Aberdeen City Council and Aberdeenshire Council have confirmed all schools will remain closed on Wednesday.
Aberdeenshire has declared a major incident, warning that rural communities face a “good chance” of being cut off and that power cuts are possible. The region is grappling with some of the heaviest snowfall in recent years.
Current and Upcoming Weather Warnings
The Met Office has a series of active warnings in place. A yellow warning for ice covers most of England, Wales, and southern Scotland until 10am Wednesday, with a similar alert for Northern Ireland until 11am. For northern Scotland, a yellow warning for snow and ice is active until midnight Wednesday, with forecasts predicting up to 20cm of fresh snow and drifting due to strong winds.
Looking ahead, Storm Goretti—named by Météo-France—will bring a deep area of low pressure across the south of the UK from Thursday evening. This will trigger a new Met Office snow warning for large parts of England and Wales from 6pm Thursday until midday Friday. Separately, a yellow wind warning has been issued for Cornwall, Devon, and the Isles of Scilly from 3pm Thursday until midnight.
Community Response and Ongoing Impact
The impact of the cold snap is being felt nationwide. Police Scotland has warned that the effects of the snow will linger for days in the north and north-east, urging people to heed travel advice. The conditions have already led to the cancellation of seven midweek football matches in Scotland.
In a show of community spirit, Conservative MP for Gordon and Buchan, Harriet Cross, praised over 100 “heroic” farmers and contractors. She reported they have been rescuing stranded drivers, clearing roads, and transporting essential supplies in blizzard conditions, all while caring for their own livestock.
The severe weather follows an exceptionally cold night on Monday, when temperatures plunged to minus 12.5C in Norfolk, marking the coldest night of the winter so far.
