As Storm Goretti blankets Britain in a decade’s worst snowfall, chaos reigns across the nation. Flights grounded, roads impassable, and rail services halted.
Kings Heath in Birmingham looked like another planet (Image: X)
Storm Garetti has unleashed otherworldly scenes in the UK, with the early morning sky on Friday cast in an eery purple-haze. X-users were left stunned by the sight of Birmingham rendered in purple posted on social media by several early morning walkers.
Goretti has delivered what has been described as the worst snowfall Britain has seen in a decade, triggering widespread disruption across air, road and rail networks.
Flights were grounded at major airports, roads were left impassable and rail services were suspended as severe winter weather swept across the country.
Birmingham Airport suspended runway operations on Thursday night after heavy snowfall made flying unsafe, while Heathrow cancelled dozens of services as conditions deteriorated.
Passengers were advised to check directly with their airlines before travelling, as images emerged showing aircraft covered in snow and ice on the tarmac.
Cornwall was placed under a red weather warning until 11pm on Thursday, with residents urged to remain indoors as winds of up to 99mph battered St Mary’s in the Isles of Scilly.
Large areas of the country, including the Home Counties, were also warned to prepare for heavy snowfall.
Residential powerlines came down in Harborne, Birmingham due to the freak snow. (Image: Michael D. Carroll)
Power cuts leave thousands without electricity
According to the Daily Mail, more than 65,000 homes were left without power on Thursday evening, according to the National Grid, with the majority of outages affecting southwest England.
Around 11,000 properties were impacted in the West Midlands, while several thousand homes in Wales also lost electricity.
Videos shared on social media showed motorists struggling through flooded rural roads in Cornwall, reporters battling to stay upright in strong winds, and people pushing a stranded vehicle uphill in snow-covered Buxton, Derbyshire.
The red warning for Cornwall warned of damage to buildings, dangerous debris, power cuts, transport disruption and large waves posing a risk to life.
Disruption to transport services is expected to continue into Friday morning, with schools across the country announcing closures.
The forecaster warned on its website: “It is very likely that there will be a risk to life, with substantial disruption to travel, energy supplies and possibly widespread damage to property and infrastructure.
“You should avoid travelling, where possible, and follow the advice of the emergency services and local authorities.”
Questions were raised over Britain’s ability to cope with snowfall as conditions worsened as the BBC quoted officials as bracing for the “worst snow in a decade” with over 30cm expected for the East Midlands, which has also closed it’s airport.
Rail services suspended across southwest
Dozens of schools in Cornwall closed early on Thursday, while Network Rail confirmed all train services in the county would be suspended from 6pm.
In Devon, services on the Exeter–Okehampton and Exeter–Barnstaple lines were also halted due to forecast high winds.
Passengers were urged to travel earlier in the day and avoid late afternoon journeys, with no replacement bus services planned because of hazardous road conditions.
The storm, named by French forecaster Meteo France, has been labelled a “multi-hazard event” by the Met Office, with up to 30cm of snow possible in some areas.
Weather warnings for snow, wind, rain and ice have been issued nationwide amid fears of dangerous travel conditions.
Met Office chief forecaster Neil Armstrong said: “Storm Goretti will be a multi-hazard event, with the most significant impacts from snow in parts of Wales and the Midlands and the very strong winds in the far South West, though heavy rain in some parts of Wales and East Anglia also has the potential to bring disruption to many.”
Storm Goretti weather warnings January 8-9 2026 (Image: PA)
‘Weather bomb’ threat explained
The storm has also been linked to a so-called “weather bomb”, known as explosive cyclogenesis, which occurs when air pressure drops rapidly by at least 24 millibars in 24 hours.
The Met Office warned that winds generated by such events can be “strong enough to bring down trees and cause structural damage”.
A yellow warning for wind remains in place across southern coastal areas and Wales, with gusts of up to 70mph forecast.
Forecasters added that the expected wind speeds could exceed those seen during recent storms including Ciaran in 2023 and Eunice in 2022.
