Strong winds and up to 20cm of snow could hit England and Wales as a deep area of low pressure sweeps the UK
Storm Goretti is set to bring heavy snow and strong winds to parts of the UK, with up to 20cm of snow possible and travel disruption likely, the Met Office has warned.
An 18-hour yellow snow warning has been issued by the Met Office from 6pm on Thursday (January 8) until midday on Friday (January 9) as a deep area of low pressure moved across southern parts of the UK.
Named by Meteo France – France’s equivalent of the Met Office – Storm Goretti is expected to hit northern France with the worst of the winds, bringing a mix of rain, snow and strong winds to the UK.
Forecasters say heavy snow is likely to develop over higher ground in south Wales later on Thursday, before rain turns to snow more widely across parts of England and Wales overnight. In some areas, 5-10cm of snow could settle, with up to 20cm possible over higher ground. Strong winds may also lead to drifting snow, the Met Office said.
The weather agency warned that conditions could lead to delays on roads, with some vehicles and passengers stranded, as well as cancellations to rail and air services. Rural communities may also become cut off, while power cuts and disruption to mobile phone coverage are also possible.
A separate yellow wind warning is in place from 3pm to 11.59pm on Thursday, with strong northwesterly winds expected across parts of southwest England. Gusts of up to 60mph are forecast, with 70mph possible around exposed coasts. The Met Office has warned of damage to buildings, falling debris and large waves posing a ‘danger to life’ in coastal areas.
It comes after a week of cold and wintry weather across the UK. Overnight temperatures plummeted to as low as -12.5C last night, making it the coldest night of winter so far. The lowest temperature was recorded in Marham, Norfolk, while Santam Downham in Suffolk, and Topcliffe, North Yorkshire, both saw a low of -10C, the Met Office said.
Two amber snow warnings and five yellow snow and ice warnings remain in place across Scotland, the North West, east and south west of England, Northern Ireland and Wales on Tuesday (January 6).
Further weather warnings have been issued by the Met Office for Wednesday (January 7), with yellow snow and ice warnings in place across most of England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. Forecasters have warned of ‘icy patches’ across most of the UK, while a further 5-10 cm of snow is likely to fall in parts of Scotland.
