BBC Breakfast presenters Naga Munchetty and Charlie Stayt opened Friday's programme with urgent breaking news, detailing the widespread chaos unleashed by Storm Goretti across the UK.
Widespread Disruption and a Major Incident Declared
The severe weather system battered the country with heavy snowfall and ferocious winds, recorded at speeds of up to 99 miles per hour on the Isles of Scilly. The disruption was so severe that authorities were forced to declare a major incident in Jersey.
Naga Munchetty informed viewers that the Met Office's rare red warning for Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly had only ended late on Thursday night, after causing huge disruption. Co-presenter Charlie Stayt revealed the storm's staggering impact on infrastructure, reporting that nearly 60,000 households across England and Wales had been left without power.
Amber Warnings and On-the-Ground Reports
Despite the red warning expiring, the danger had not fully passed. Charlie Stayt told the BBC One audience that an amber weather warning for snow remained in place this morning for a vast swathe of the country, encompassing much of the West Midlands, Wales, Gloucestershire, and parts of Yorkshire.
The show then cut to a report from correspondent Greg McKenzie, who presented dramatic footage of the storm's fury. "This is Storm Goretti as it drove into the UK on Bryher in the Isles of Scilly, one of the country's most exposed islands," he reported. "Powerful gusts tore straight across when the storm made landfall yesterday."
Coastal Damage and Personal Ordeals
McKenzie's report detailed significant damage, including roof tiles torn from buildings in Guernsey and roads in Jersey blocked by fallen trees overnight. He described how winds had "battered the coastline," with waves crashing and debris flying, making travel extremely challenging.
The human impact was brought home through interviews with affected residents. A man on the Isles of Scilly reported that the winds intensified from around 6 pm, causing damage to properties and even cutting power to the local hospital, though he hoped it had been restored.
Another woman shared her personal anxiety with the programme, explaining her husband needed to reach hospital on Tuesday and her son was far away. "But this time last week," she said, "I would never have thought that this week we would be snowed in."
The widespread disruption from Storm Goretti serves as a stark reminder of the UK's vulnerability to extreme winter weather, with recovery efforts now underway across multiple regions.
