Storm Goretti will strike Britain with up to a foot of snow and 100mph winds today as commuters were warned to get home early before much of the rail network shuts.
The Met Office has issued six separate yellow and amber warnings across the South West and North of England, the Midlands, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.
Trains have been cancelled due to the severe weather forecast, rural communities could be cut off and there were warnings of power cuts and mobile signal disruption.
00:08
02:24
The storm is undergoing explosive cyclogenesis, also known as a ‘weather bomb’, when the central pressure of a low-pressure system falls 24 millibars in 24 hours. For Goretti, the pressure will drop by 36 millibars in the 24 hours to 6pm this evening.
The 21-hour storm will hit from 3pm today until 12pm tomorrow – with the most snow in the Midlands and Wales, where 30cm (1ft) could fall. Areas in the Home Counties including Buckinghamshire, Berkshire and Hertfordshire could see up to 20cm (8in).
Wind speeds of up to 100mph could strike exposed regions from this evening with meteorologists warning of ‘violent gusts that may persist for two to three hours’, especially in South West England, as the weather brings a ‘danger to life’ to the UK.
In Norfolk, people living in 14 clifftop homes at Hemsby were evacuated amid fears their properties are at risk of imminent collapse into the sea as Goretti sweeps in – with residents saying 30ft (10m) of coast has already eroded away in the past week.
Many rail operators have announced advance line closures, with TransPennine Express saying the route between Manchester Piccadilly and Sheffield via Stockport will shut from 6pm tonight until Saturday with no replacement buses running.
From 3pm, CrossCountry will run a reduced service between Birmingham and Bristol, Reading and Manchester; Avanti West Coast said it would operate fewer trains; while LNER advised customers travelling after that time to bring forward their journey.
Northern will suspend three routes from 6pm tonight until Saturday – between Guide Bridge and Glossop; Hazel Grove and Buxton; and New Mills Central and Sheffield. ScotRail said trains between Inverness and Wick remained suspended today.
South Western Railway cancelled at least seven trains from 7pm tonight including between London Waterloo and Weymouth, Portsmouth, Poole and Bournemouth – while Eurostar warned of last-minute cancellations to and from London St Pancras.
+11
View gallery
A motorist drives along a country lane in the fog in Dunsden, Oxfordshire, this morning
+11
View gallery
Network Rail tweeted this photo today of snow between Brora and Thurso on the Far North line
+11
View gallery
A foggy start to the day at Dunsden in Oxfordshire this morning ahead of Storm Goretti
+11
View gallery
+11
View gallery
TRENDING
Wife of ICE shooting victim says she ‘made her come down here’
10.4k viewing now
The Truth about Beard Meats Food and his ‘unconventional’ lifestyle
48k viewing now
All the videos that captured the Minneapolis ICE shooting
2.6k viewing now
Ventusky Privacy Policy
Transport for Wales said the line between Machynlleth and Pwllheli was closed today, while Liverpool to Chester trains will be suspended from 3pm. The line from Merthyr Tydfil to Cardiff Central will have a reduced service, with other closures expected.
Chiltern Railways urged passengers to complete journeys by 8pm tonight, ahead of reduced timetables tomorrow; while Great Western Railway warned of a shutdown between Great Malvern and Hereford from 3pm, and Oxford and Hereford from 6pm.
Britons flying to Amsterdam and Paris also continued to face disruption due to the weather today, after about 1,000 flights to and from both cities were axed yesterday.
How Storm Goretti will affect your rail journey
Avanti West Coast: Reduced service from 3pm today
Chiltern Railways: Passengers advised to complete journeys by 8pm tonight; significantly reduced timetables tomorrow
CrossCountry: Reduced service between Birmingham and Bristol, Reading and Manchester from 3pm today
East Midlands Railway: No trains between Manchester Piccadilly and Sheffield from 6pm tonight
Eurostar: Possible last-minute cancellations to and from London St Pancras
Great Western Railway: No trains between Great Malvern and Hereford from 3pm; and none between Oxford and Hereford from 6pm
LNER: Passenger travelling after 3pm are advised to bring forward their journey
Northern: Routes suspended between Guide Bridge and Glossop; Hazel Grove and Buxton; and New Mills Central and Sheffield, from 6pm tonight until Saturday
ScotRail: Trains between Inverness and Wick remain suspended today
South Western Railway: At least seven trains cancelled from 7pm tonight including between London Waterloo and Weymouth, Portsmouth, Poole and Bournemouth
TransPennine Express: Route between Manchester Piccadilly and Sheffield via Stockport will shut from 6pm tonight until the start of Saturday
Transport for Wales: Line between Machynlleth and Pwllheli is closed; Liverpool to Chester trains will be suspended from 3pm; reduced service from Merthyr Tydfil to Cardiff Central; other closures expected.
West Midlands Railway: Reduced timetable from 7pm on several routes
KLM flights from Aberdeen, Edinburgh, Leeds Bradford, Manchester and London Heathrow were impacted again today, as well as Air France planes from Heathrow and Birmingham.
Meanwhile both Channel Islands airports said they would close early at 6pm today due to the storm, impacted flights between London Gatwick or Heathrow to Jersey and Guernsey.
Today will see a cloudy and cold start to the day with wintry weather as Goretti comes in from the South West.
Met Office meteorologist Alex Burkill said the storm will bring ‘wet, windy and wintry weather’ to parts of the UK.
He said Goretti, named by Meteo France, would bring ‘some strong winds and some significant snow to central and perhaps southern parts’.
The meteorologist added: ‘As that rain pushes its way and it hits against that cold air that we currently have across us… and so on the northern edge, we are likely to see some fairly significant snow as we go through later tomorrow and into Friday.’
Amber warnings have an ‘increased likelihood of impacts from severe weather’ compared to yellow warnings, meaning there is the possibility of travel delays, road and rail closures, power cuts and potential risk to life and property.
Met Office chief forecaster Neil Armstrong described Storm Goretti as a ‘multi-hazard event’ with heavy rain, strong winds and snow.
He said 5cm (2in) to 10cm (4in) of snow is likely widely in Wales and the Midlands, with 15cm (6in) to 25cm (10in) and a potential for up to 30cm (1ft) in some areas.
Strong winds with gusts of 50 to 60mph will likely affect south-western areas this afternoon and evening, with gusts of 60 to 70mph along exposed hills and coasts, the Met Office said.
The forecaster has issued an amber warning for heavy snow from this evening into tomorrow, covering parts of Wales, the Midlands and South Yorkshire.
The warning stretches from Sheffield in the North, down to Leicester, across much of the West Midlands and into Wales.
It comes into force at 8pm tonight and ends at 9am tomorrow.
National Highways issued its own amber warning for snow in the West and East Midlands, which lasts from 6pm this evening until 9am tomorrow.
The agency said in a statement: ‘Routes particularly around Birmingham across to Leicester and Nottingham will see particularly difficult driving conditions and consideration of the weather forecast should be taken before commencing journeys, with considerable delays possible.’
Drivers were also warned that the A628 Woodhead Pass would be closed both ways between the A616 at Flouch and the A57 at Hollingworth from 8pm tonight due to the severe weather.
Network Rail urged passengers across Britain to check for updates before they travel on tonight and tomorrow morning.
+11
View gallery
Traffic on the A9 in the Highlands in heavy snow yesterday as severe weather causes chaos
+11
View gallery
Two people skate across a frozen flood plain at Port Meadow in Oxford yesterday
+11
View gallery
A man clears the snow from his car at Glenmore by Loch Morlich in the Highlands yesterday
Network Rail regional director Jake Kelly said: ‘Thousands of railway colleagues will do everything they can to keep the railway running across the country on Thursday night and Friday morning, but even with their best efforts we are concerned that the scale of the storm means there may still be some disruption in some areas.
‘While Storm Goretti is forecast to impact most of Britain, there are some areas that could be more affected than others, so our best advice to customers is simply to arm themselves with the best information they can, from National Rail or their operators.
‘In the meantime, we are working hard to get the network as best prepared as we can so we can keep rail customers moving.’
Read More
LIVE
Storm Goretti to dump heavy snow across England amid fears of travel chaos and power cuts
Flight passengers were also warned of disruption, with Aberdeen Airport saying today: ‘Snow clearing has taken place this morning following significant snowfall overnight.
‘The airport is monitoring the situation closely with weather warnings in place and will conduct more snow clearing when necessary to ensure the safety of our operations.’
‘Passengers are urged to check the status of their flight with their operator and take extra care if travelling to and from the airport. We thank passengers for their patience and understanding.’
Carl Eddleston, Transport for London’s director of streets and network operations, told the Daily Mail: ‘During winter weather conditions, we have comprehensive plans in place that aim to keep services safe and keep our network running for customers.
‘These measures include proactively using products that prevent ice from forming on platforms and extensively gritting the capital’s major roads. We also treat Tube, bus and rail stations throughout the day to minimise the risk of them becoming slippery.
‘We encourage customers to check before they travel, allow more time for their journeys, and most importantly stay safe in icy conditions. Customers should also continue to keep an eye on the weather forecast, as conditions can change quickly.’
