A view of Main Street in Alford, Aberdeenshire, captured in a photograph taken this week. Getty Images
Severe winter weather caused major disruption across parts of the UK on Thursday as Storm Goretti swept through with heavy snow, strong winds, and rain. Operations at Birmingham Airport came to a halt in the evening after snow covered the runway.
Airport officials said teams were carrying out final snow clearing and safety checks. Runway operations remained suspended, though passenger security checks resumed. Travellers were advised to contact their airlines for flight updates.
Rail Networks Face Closures and Delays
Rail travel also faced widespread disruption. Network Rail urged passengers to check for updates before travelling on Friday morning.
Several rail lines in Wales closed from Thursday afternoon. In Cornwall, all train services stopped from early evening, with no replacement buses due to unsafe road conditions. In Devon, services between Exeter and Okehampton and Exeter and Barnstaple were suspended because of forecast high winds.
National Rail warned that train services across England, Scotland, and Wales could face disruption until the end of Friday.
Regional director Jake Kelly said rail staff would do “everything they can to keep the railway running” but added, “we are concerned that the scale of the storm means there may still be some disruption”.
Power Cuts Leave Thousands in the Dark
Storm Goretti also caused power outages across several regions. More than 50,000 homes lost electricity in south-west England on Thursday evening. Around 9,000 properties in the West Midlands and 2,000 in Wales also experienced outages.
Rare Weather Warnings Issued
Weather officials issued a rare red warning for south-west England due to “dangerous, stormy” winds. The warning covered Thursday evening and included parts of Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly, where violent gusts struck over several hours.
Storm Goretti, named by Meteo France, intensified rapidly and brought what experts described as “multi-hazard” conditions. Wales and the Midlands saw snowfall of up to 30 centimetres, while exposed coastal and hill areas recorded wind speeds close to 100 mph.
Meteorologist Alex Burkill said the storm would bring “wet, windy and wintry weather” across large parts of the country. He explained that as rain pushed into colder air, heavy snow developed along the northern edge of the system.
Roads and Airports Under Pressure
National Highways issued an amber warning for snow across the West and East Midlands, lasting until Friday morning. Officials warned drivers around Birmingham, Leicester, and Nottingham to expect very difficult conditions and possible long delays.
While most major airports planned to remain open, airports in Jersey and Guernsey closed Thursday evening due to the storm.
Warnings Remain in Place
Yellow warnings for snow and ice also covered parts of Scotland and Northern Ireland earlier in the week. Officials continue to urge the public to avoid unnecessary travel and stay updated as winter weather conditions persist.
