Fresh snow and ice warnings issued for Scotland and northern England for much of Sunday
Fresh weather warnings for snow and ice have been issued by the Met Office for much of Scotland and the north of England on Sunday.
A yellow warning covering large parts of Scotland, the East and West Midlands, north-east and north-west England and Yorkshire will come into force at 2am on Sunday, expected to run until 3pm.
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Extra engineers have been brought in from other areas to help restore power to properties in the south-west and west Midlands, which felt the strongest impacts of Storm Goretti, the National Grid said.
The utility company said it had restored power to 169,380 properties across the south-west, Midlands, and south Wales by noon on Friday.
Field operations director Roisin Quinn said:
Fallen trees, heavy snow and stranded vehicles have made it difficult for our teams to reach some areas to carry out repairs safely.
Engineers are working around the clock to get customers reconnected as quickly and safely as possible.
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Here are some of the latest images of damage caused to sea defences and beach huts in Folkestone, Kent:
Sea defences are uprooted and destroyed on Mermaid Beach following Storm Goretti hitting the UK in Folkestone, Britain January 9, 2026. Photograph: Chris J Ratcliffe/ReutersBeach hut owners inspect their huts after being damaged and moved their fixings on Mermaid Beach following Storm Goretti hitting the UK in Folkestone, Britain January 9, 2026. Photograph: Chris J Ratcliffe/ReutersSea defences are uprooted and destroyed on Mermaid Beach following Storm Goretti hitting the UK in Folkestone, Britain January 9, 2026. Photograph: Chris J Ratcliffe/ReutersShare
Updated at 13.47 GMT
RNLI volunteers battled horrendous conditions to rescue people from boats as Storm Goretti hit Cornwall.
Falmouth RNLI responded to seven separate incidents on Thursday night in “hurricane strength” winds described as the “worst” ever seen by volunteers.
The crew was called out at about 7.10pm as a number of vessels were breaking free from their moorings with people aboard.
RNLI volunteers worked for three hours in strong winds and heavy rain to assist people in difficulty.
Nick Head, coxswain, said: “The conditions were very tricky with 90mph winds, torrential rain and hail, and it was certainly the worst weather conditions I’ve been out in as coxswain.”
The lifeboat pontoon suffered some damage, as did many other structures around the harbour. However, the lifeboat remains in service and operational.
Dickon Berriman, RNLI area operations manager, said: “While most of us were in the warmth and safety of our homes last night, our dedicated volunteer crews spent hours at sea in the dark helping people in difficulty, contending with horrendous conditions brought on by Storm Goretti, the worst Cornwall has seen in many years.
“Their courage, selflessness and dedication is incredible. While the worst of the weather has passed through, we would urge vessel owners to make sure their anchor and mooring lines are secure and also to check local weather and wind reports prior to planning any passages.”
The RNLI has urged anyone visiting the coast to stay a safe distance from wet and slippery edges and to carry a means of calling for help, as well as keeping someone informed about their whereabouts.
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Government urged to convene emergency Cobra meeting in response to Storm Goretti
The government has been urged to convene a meeting of the emergency Cobra committee to respond to Storm Goretti.
Gideon Amos, Liberal Democrat MP for Taunton and Wellington in Somerset, said:
The government’s Cobra committee must urgently be convened to ensure fast help is delivered across the region.
The south-west is routinely overlooked by the government, but we cannot be ignored in this time of need.
Meanwhile, Downing Street said support was being offered to homes left without power by the storm.
A No 10 spokesperson said:
We have well-rehearsed plans in place for winter weather. We are currently working with teams from local authorities, the emergency services and other public bodies to respond to the disruption.
The spokesperson added:
The latest data I have is that around 0.21% of British customers are without power. Engineers and staff are working to reconnect them as quickly as possible. The latest numbers I have is approximately 150,000 customers have had their power restored so far.
Separately, the National Grid is working with local resilience forums to open local community centres and warm spaces in the areas worst impacted by the storm, offering food and accommodation for those who need it today and across the weekend.
Welfare vans in south-west England will also be available to those who require additional support and the British Red Cross is also providing extra assistance to the most vulnerable customers.
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Updated at 12.52 GMT
Scale of Storm Goretti damage across parts of Cornwall means clean up will ‘likely take several days’, says council leader
In a message posted on Cornwall council’s social media channels, council leader Leigh Frost said Storm Goretti has caused “major disruption across parts of Cornwall, particularly to roads, coastal areas and local infrastructure”.
According to the PA news agency, Frost said:
More than 45,000 homes are currently without power and we’re hopeful that National Grid will restore supplies by midday but obviously be prepared for delays.
Council teams have been working alongside our emergency services and partner organisations to respond throughout the night and clean up operations are now under way but the scale of the damage means that this will likely take several days.
Our priority is to make the roads, footways and critical infrastructure safe but driving conditions remain treacherous.
The A30 remains closed in both ways between St Earth and Long Rock due to multiple fallen trees. Police and specialist contractors are on the scene but clearance will take time.
Please avoid affected areas where possible and if you can work from home today please do.
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The stadium of Cornish Pirates rugby club in Penzance has been damaged by Storm Goretti.
The roof on the main grandstand at the Mennaye Field has had large chunks torn off it by the strong winds, reports the PA news agency.
“We hope everyone is staying safe amidst Storm Goretti, but unfortunately the Mennaye and the main grandstand has fallen victim, with some significant damage,” the club said in a statement posted on social media.
Our next match will go ahead as planned, with Redruth and Camborne willing to host us should we need to and subject to RFU clearance.
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Updated at 12.17 GMT
Met Office weather warnings explained
In case you’re wondering what the Met Office’s weather warnings actually mean and how they differ by category, here is a simple explainer, via the PA news agency:
Red weather warning:
According to the Met Office, a red weather warning means 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. People should avoid travelling, where possible, and follow the advice of the emergency services and local authorities.
Amber weather warning:
The Met Office’s website says amber weather warnings are issued when there is an increased likelihood of impacts from severe weather, including the possibility of travel delays, road and rail closures, power cuts and the potential risk to life and property.
Yellow weather warning:
Yellow warnings are issued for a range of weather situations, including when it is likely that the weather will cause some low level impacts, including some disruption to travel in a few places, or when the weather could bring much more severe impacts to the majority of people but the certainty of those impacts occurring is much lower, according to the Met Office.
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In Aberdeen, Ian Yuill, co-leader of the city council, said that on Thursday there were 17 road gritters out, ploughs, 14 pavement gritters, 90 road staff, about 240 environmental services staff, and 31 diggers hired from contractors all shifting snow and treating roads and pavements.
According to the PA news agency, he told BBC Radio Scotland Breakfast on Friday:
It’s a huge job. Our staff can’t be everywhere but they are working incredibly hard, and we have been gritting roads pretty much around the clock since this started.
One of the challenges that Aberdeen city council has had is because of the repeated snowfalls, our gritters and ploughs have had to go back time and time and time again to the priority routes in the city, and that has meant they haven’t been able to get on to secondary routes and side roads.
Hiring these diggers has allowed the council to move snow on side roads and start to tackle that problem.
There is still a long way to go. There is still an awful lot of snow lying on the streets and pavements of Aberdeen.
Heavy snow fall in Aberdeen pictured earlier this week. Photograph: Beth Edmonston/PAShare
Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly have been dealing with the aftermath of Storm Goretti after the winter storm battered the areas with 100mph winds.
On Friday morning, Cornwall council recommended that residents avoid travelling as a large number of roads remained closed due to fallen trees, downed power lines and debris.
Over on the Isles of Scilly, the council said the impact of Storm Goretti had only been “fully revealed” this morning and that it was working to clear debris and remove hazards from the roads and pathways.
In its latest update, the council of the Isles of Scilly said:
At present the road is closed from Parting Carn to Sunnyside and from Telegraph to the Golf Club on St Mary’s. Roads are also blocked across the highway network, so there is no clear route to town from the opposite end of the island.
Highways teams are working with the emergency services and local tree surgeons to clear fallen trees and electrical wiring. It is going to take some time to clear a safe passage, but we will aim to update you all as soon as this has been achieved.
Here are some images coming in from Cornwall:
Exeter University student Anna Richmond inspects the damage to her car which was crushed outside her rented accommodation in Falmouth by fallen trees during Storm Goretti. Photograph: Hugh Hastings/Getty ImagesA fallen tree caused by Storm Goretti blocks a main road on Friday in Falmouth, Cornwall. Photograph: Hugh Hastings/Getty ImagesAn overturned van on the A30 near Blackwater, Cornwall on Friday. Photograph: Matt Keeble/PAShare
Updated at 13.35 GMT
The north and north-east of Scotland have seen several days of “intense” snowfall, ice and sub-zero temperatures which have led to school closures and travel disruption.
Scotland’s first minister John Swinney said earlier that efforts are now turned towards recovery. He said:
The challenge with the snow has been, quite simply, the volume, and we’ve had formidable resources available in the north-east and in the Highlands to clear transport routes on the trunk roads and also on the rail network, which is the responsibility of the government.
We’ve been working closely with local authorities about snow clearing in their localities.
More than 250 schools remain closed on Friday, including more than 150 in Aberdeenshire, dozens in the Highlands and Aberdeen, and a number in Moray.
All “priority one” routes in Aberdeenshire and the Highlands are open, but Traffic Scotland confirmed snow gates remain closed on the B974 Bridge of Dye, and many local routes remain affected.
Rail lines around Scotland have now reopened, with the northern section of the Far North Line between Brora and Wick/Thurso being finally cleared of snow on Thursday evening.
Transport secretary Fiona Hyslop welcomed the news, posting on social media:
Thank you Network Rail Scotland – huge effort in very challenging conditions.
Ministers attended a meeting of the Scottish government’s resilience room on Thursday afternoon, after which justice secretary Angela Constance provided an update on recovery efforts:
Following five days of amber warnings and hugely challenging snow and ice conditions across northern Scotland, progress to fully recover continues.
However, there are yellow weather warnings in place overnight for most of Scotland, and with Storm Goretti set to affect other parts of the UK and a cold but still unpredictable weather picture for Scotland over the weekend, it is clear that impacts will continue to be felt in the coming days.
Swinney said:
We’ve had a period of really intense and heavy snowfall in certain parts of Scotland, particularly the north-east, the Highlands and the Northern Isles and the Western Isles, and the government has been closely engaged with local resilience partnerships throughout that series of amber warnings, and those amber warnings have gone on for a prolonged number of days.
He added:
We are, however, thankfully, in a position where we are able to focus more on recovery than dealing with the immediate incident, and that very much is the focus of all local resilience partnerships, and the government is supporting with the reallocation of resources where that is possible to do so.
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At least 69 flights scheduled to operate to or from Heathrow airport on Friday have been cancelled. This is likely to have disrupted more than 9,000 passengers, reports the PA news agency.
Most of the cancellations are short-haul flights by British Airways, which is the largest airline at Heathrow.
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