UK (Parliament Politics Magazine) – Amber warnings cover the UK as Storm Goretti brings heavy snow, strong winds, travel disruption, and health risks for older and vulnerable people.
As reported by The Guardian, the UK has been placed under amber warnings as Storm Goretti is expected to bring heavy snow and strong winds.
How could Storm Goretti affect travel across the Midlands and Wales?
The Midlands could see as much as 30 cm of snow, with gusts up to 90 mph threatening exposed areas and posing a potential risk to life across parts of the UK.
Storm Goretti will bring a cold, cloudy start to Thursday, with wintry conditions spreading in from the south-west.
Met Office meteorologist Alex Burkill warned that Storm Goretti will bring wet, windy, and wintry conditions, with significant snow and strong winds across central and southern areas.
He said,
“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.”
Burkill added that 20 cm or more of snow could settle, warning this may cause significant disruption, with a yellow rain warning covering east England from 6 pm Thursday to 9 pm Friday, and west Wales from midday Thursday to 10 am Friday.
The forecaster signaled a higher risk of severe weather than yellow warnings, with possible travel delays, road and rail closures, power cuts, and threats to life and property.
According to Met Office chief forecaster Neil Armstrong, Storm Goretti is a “multi-hazard event” expected to bring rain, gusty winds, and 5–10 cm of snow across Wales and the Midlands, with up to 30 cm in some regions.
The Met Office warned that south-western parts of the UK could experience 50–60 mph winds on Thursday afternoon and evening, with higher gusts of 60–70 mph in exposed hills and coastal locations.
From Thursday evening through Friday, an amber warning has been issued for Wales, the Midlands, and South Yorkshire, with rail and flight delays, power outages, and possible isolation of rural communities.
From Sheffield in the north down to Leicester, across the West Midlands and into Wales, the warning comes into effect at 8 pm Thursday and ends at 9 am Friday.
National Highways has issued an amber snow alert for the West and East Midlands, effective from 6 pm Thursday until 9 am Friday.
The agency added 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.”
The A628 Woodhead Pass will be closed both ways from 8 pm Thursday between the A616 at Flouch and the A57 at Hollingworth, due to severe weather.
Forecasters have issued an amber wind warning for Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly from 5 pm to 11 pm Thursday, with gusts up to 90 mph in exposed areas, while a yellow warning covers much of south-west England from 3 pm Thursday to 6 am Friday.
The Met Office has released a yellow snow and ice warning for Scotland from 10 pm Wednesday to midday Thursday, alongside a yellow ice warning for Northern Ireland from midnight to 10 am Thursday.
From 5 pm Thursday until midday Friday, a yellow snow warning is in place across England, with officials warning of severe travel disruption and hazardous conditions.
What did UKHSA warn about the amber cold weather alert?
The UK Health Security Agency has issued an amber cold weather warning through 11 January, warning of serious impacts on health and social care, with deaths expected among those aged 65 and over or with underlying health conditions, while younger people may also be affected.
Dr Agostinho Sousa, head of extreme events and health protection at UKHSA, said,
“As the colder weather sets in, it is vital to check in on friends, family and neighbours that are most vulnerable.”
He added,
“The forecast temperatures can have a serious impact on the health of some people, leading to increased risk of heart attacks, strokes and chest infections, particularly for individuals over the age of 65 and those with pre-existing health conditions.”
How many flights were cancelled at Amsterdam Schiphol amid snow and ice?
Severe winter weather forced the cancellation of nearly 700 flights at Amsterdam Schiphol on Wednesday, with snow, ice, and high winds grounding more than 100 services to the UK.
Daniel Gustafsson of the flight-tracking website Flightradar24 said,
“While Schiphol certainly can operate during winter weather, the airport’s de-icing infrastructure obviously isn’t designed to handle a barrage of snow for multiple days in a row.”
He warned of a “critical shortage” of de-icing fluid that “threatens to halt operations entirely,” adding,
“Even a thin layer of ice on a wing can significantly affect lift which is why all critical surfaces of an aircraft must be completely free of snow and ice before takeoff. KLM operates a fleet of 25 de-icing trucks at Schiphol and is responsible for de-icing not only its own fleet but most aircraft at the airport. KLM’s de-icing teams have been using approximately 85,000 liters of fluid per day since Friday. This is extraordinary, leading to supplies depleting faster than they have been replenished.”
Why is this winter Storm named Goretti?
The naming of storms each year is coordinated jointly by the Met Office and its partners in Ireland and the Netherlands.
Over 50,000 names were recommended for storms this season, including contributions from the public submitted to Met Éireann and the Dutch KNMI.
Meteo France named Storm Goretti, with France expected to bear the brunt of the storm. The name has no particular meaning in French but comes from Saint Maria Goretti, an Italian virgin saint who is important in the Catholic Church.