Travel disrupted across the UK
Here are some of the latest travel disruption updates, courtesy of the PA news agency:
Transport for Wales said it will not run services on the majority of its routes on Friday. They include: Llandudno Junction to Llandudno; Llandudno Junction to Blaenau Ffestiniog; Wrexham to Bidston; Craven Arms to Swansea (via Heart of Wales Line); west of Carmarthen; Maesteg to Ebbw; Hereford to Shrewsbury; Shrewsbury to Birmingham International; and Shrewsbury to Aberystwyth.
Its other routes will have a reduced service all day.
Services on the West Midlands Metro tram network were unable to operate in Birmingham on Friday morning due to a fallen tree. A statement issued by the network said: “Due to fallen trees along our tram line, no service is running between Wednesbury Great Western and Edgbaston Village.” The closure means trams are operating between Wolverhampton Station and Wednesbury Great Western only.
Bus operator National Express West Midlands said all services were suspended until at least 8.30am “due to difficult road conditions and low temperatures”.
Chiltern Railways, which plans to operate around half of its normal timetable,
said it was not running services north of Birmingham Moor Street or on the line to Stratford-upon-Avon. Stations at Hatton, Lapworth, Kings Sutton, Sudbury Hill Harrow, Sudbury & Harrow Road and South Ruislip will also not be served today.
Rail replacement buses will not be in operation, Chiltern said in a statement on its website.
Avanti West Coast said “do not travel” advice is in place on its Midlands routes until 1pm on Friday. The train operator, which runs services on the West Coast Main Line, said: “An amended timetable will operate across all routes from 0700 until 1500, when we currently expect services to return to normal. We strongly recommend travelling outside these times if possible.”
National Highways said three out of four northbound lanes of the M1 motorway are closed between Junction 28 for Mansfield and Junction 29 for Chesterfield after a crash involving a lorry. Recovery of the lorry has started and specialised winter fleet vehicles are en route to clear snow which has settled in the closed lanes. Drivers face delays of up to half an hour as congestion stretches for four miles.
National Highways said the A628 Woodhead Pass connecting Greater Manchester and South Yorkshire remains closed in both directions between the A616 for Flouch and the A57 for Hollingworth because of snow. Drivers are advised to use the M60, M62 and M1 as an alternative route.
National Highways said the A30 in Cornwall is closed in both directions between the A394 for Longrock and the A3074 for Longstone because of “a large number of fallen trees that are blocking the road”. It added that specialist crews are working to clear the trees from the carriageway.
Updated at 03.34 EST
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Cornwall council advised residents to avoid travelling on Friday morning. It said:
Roads and public transport remain disrupted this morning as we deal with the aftermath of Storm Goretti. Please avoid travelling if you can.
It added:
A large number of roads are still closed due to fallen trees, downed power lines and debris.
Our teams are working around the clock to clear them, and we ask that you give crews the space they need to carry out urgent repairs safely.
Council workers clear fallen trees from a road after Storm Goretti passed through on Thursday night, in Falmouth, Cornwall. Photograph: Hugh Hastings/Getty ImagesShareBirmingham airport and East Midlands reopen but warn of reduced service and delays
Birmingham airport said its runway has reopened with a reduced service but urged passengers to check the status of their flight with their airline. It said:
Our runway has reopened on a reduced basis, and our teams are working to get passengers away as efficiently as possible.
Whilst we apologise for any inconvenience Storm Goretti has caused, the safety of our colleagues and customers is our number one priority
Passengers due to travel are advised to check the status of their flight with their airline.
East Midlands airport has also reopened. The airport said:
Following a temporary runway closure this morning due to heavy snow, our runway is now back open and flights have resumed. However, there may be some delays throughout the day.
ShareTravel disrupted across the UK
Here are some of the latest travel disruption updates, courtesy of the PA news agency:
Transport for Wales said it will not run services on the majority of its routes on Friday. They include: Llandudno Junction to Llandudno; Llandudno Junction to Blaenau Ffestiniog; Wrexham to Bidston; Craven Arms to Swansea (via Heart of Wales Line); west of Carmarthen; Maesteg to Ebbw; Hereford to Shrewsbury; Shrewsbury to Birmingham International; and Shrewsbury to Aberystwyth.
Its other routes will have a reduced service all day.
Services on the West Midlands Metro tram network were unable to operate in Birmingham on Friday morning due to a fallen tree. A statement issued by the network said: “Due to fallen trees along our tram line, no service is running between Wednesbury Great Western and Edgbaston Village.” The closure means trams are operating between Wolverhampton Station and Wednesbury Great Western only.
Bus operator National Express West Midlands said all services were suspended until at least 8.30am “due to difficult road conditions and low temperatures”.
Chiltern Railways, which plans to operate around half of its normal timetable,
said it was not running services north of Birmingham Moor Street or on the line to Stratford-upon-Avon. Stations at Hatton, Lapworth, Kings Sutton, Sudbury Hill Harrow, Sudbury & Harrow Road and South Ruislip will also not be served today.
Rail replacement buses will not be in operation, Chiltern said in a statement on its website.
Avanti West Coast said “do not travel” advice is in place on its Midlands routes until 1pm on Friday. The train operator, which runs services on the West Coast Main Line, said: “An amended timetable will operate across all routes from 0700 until 1500, when we currently expect services to return to normal. We strongly recommend travelling outside these times if possible.”
National Highways said three out of four northbound lanes of the M1 motorway are closed between Junction 28 for Mansfield and Junction 29 for Chesterfield after a crash involving a lorry. Recovery of the lorry has started and specialised winter fleet vehicles are en route to clear snow which has settled in the closed lanes. Drivers face delays of up to half an hour as congestion stretches for four miles.
National Highways said the A628 Woodhead Pass connecting Greater Manchester and South Yorkshire remains closed in both directions between the A616 for Flouch and the A57 for Hollingworth because of snow. Drivers are advised to use the M60, M62 and M1 as an alternative route.
National Highways said the A30 in Cornwall is closed in both directions between the A394 for Longrock and the A3074 for Longstone because of “a large number of fallen trees that are blocking the road”. It added that specialist crews are working to clear the trees from the carriageway.
Updated at 03.34 EST
Isles of Scilly residents requested to stay home as emergency services deal with widespread disruption
The Council of the Isles of Scilly has released an update this morning after “violent gusts” hit parts of Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly on Thursday.
Its teams and the emergency services are still dealing with widespread disruption from Storm Goretti this morning, including blocked roads, unstable structures and causes of power failures, the update shared.
The council has asked residents to stay at home unless their journey is essential in order to “keep the community safe” and make the clean up task easier. It also recommends parents and carers to monitor their emails and school social media profiles for the latest updates about school attendance.
It added:
Please take care, give emergency services and highways teams the space they need to carry out urgent repairs, and only travel if absolutely necessary.
ShareMany schools in Scotland closed for fifth day as wintry weather continues
Many schools will remain closed for a fifth day on Friday as Scotland remains gripped by continued wintry weather, reports the PA news agency.
The Met Office has issued a yellow warning of snow and ice covering much of Scotland which came into force at 8pm and runs until midday on Friday.
More than 250 schools are due to remain closed on Friday, including more than 150 in Aberdeenshire, dozens in the Highlands and Aberdeen, and a number in Moray.
Many pupils will have had a whole week off school at the start of the new term, though remote learning has been provided in many cases.
It comes after several days of “intense” snowfall, ice and sub-zero temperatures which have led to school closures and travel disruption, mainly in the north of the country.
A lorry driving in the snow on the A9 as heavy snow continues to cause disruption to many part of the Highlands. Photograph: Paul Campbell/PA
Scotland’s first minister John Swinney will visit the Aberdeen western peripheral route (AWPR) Amey depot in Aberdeen on Friday to hear about recovery efforts as part of the wider response to the severe weather in northern Scotland.
A total of 278 schools were closed on Thursday across northern Scotland, or about 11% of the school estate – down on the 440 that were closed on Wednesday.
More travel updates: Ferry operator DFDS said all its sailings between Dover and France are disrupted.
It said:
All services are currently operating with delays due to strong winds in the Channel.
Please check-in as normal, we will transfer all passengers on to the first available sailing on arrival.
Apologies for any inconvenience caused.
ShareTwo rail networks suspend services in England
West Midlands Railway said it has suspended all services. It said:
We are unable to operate any services until the afternoon.
No rail replacement road transport is being provided because of “uncertain road conditions”, it added.
London Northwestern Railway said it has suspended services between Birmingham New Street and Liverpool Lime Street until Friday afternoon. Its services between Birmingham New Street and London Euston are reduced.
Updated at 02.42 EST
British Airways cancels dozens of flights at Heathrow
British Airways has cancelled 25 departures and 27 arrivals scheduled to operate at London’s Heathrow airport on Friday.
The vast majority of affected flights were on short-haul routes, reports the PA news agency.
Updated at 02.50 EST
We have an update on Birmingham airport, which suspended its runway operations on Thursday evening due to heavy snow (see 5.42am GMT).
In a statement on Friday morning, Birmingham airport said its runway remains closed but it has resumed processing passengers through security. It said:
Our teams are completing final snow clearance and safety checks on the airfield.
Runway operations are still suspended at this time however passenger security processing has commenced.
We apologise for any inconvenience this may cause however the safety of our colleagues and customers is our number one priority. Passengers due to travel should contact their airline regarding the status of flights.
ShareWest Midlands facing ‘worst snowfall in a decade’, say officials
Officials in the West Midlands have warned of the “worst snowfall in a decade” as parts of England and Wales prepare to be hit with 5-10cm of snow on Friday, and up to 15-25cm in some areas.
In a statement on Wednesday, Stoke-on-Trent city council reassured residents it had not run out of grit after “misinformation” began to circulate. It said:
We are now facing the worst snowfall we have faced in 10 years. The Met Office has predicted that we could have 3.5 inches of snow and temperatures as low as minus 4C on Thursday into Friday morning. As a result, we are carefully managing our resources and stock of salt.
The statement added:
Unfortunately, we have been made aware of some misinformation circulating regarding the council’s salt supplies and gritting operations. It simply isn’t true that we have run out of grit.
ShareAmber cold-health alert extended until midday Monday for all regions of England
The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) and the Met Office extended the amber cold-health alert by 24 hours on Thursday, meaning all regions of England will now remain under an amber alert until 12pm on Monday 12 January.
Earlier this week Dr Agostinho Sousa, head of extreme events and health protection at UKHSA, said:
The current cold snap is now expected to last at least until this weekend according to Met Office forecasts, and we know that prolonged exposure to low temperatures can have a severe impact on people’s health, especially if they’re older or have serious health conditions.
That’s why we’re urging people to check in on friends, family and neighbours who may be more vulnerable to the cold and make sure that they’re able to keep themselves warm while this period of cold lasts.
UKHSA has published a range of guidance, including how to support vulnerable people before and during cold weather and staying safe in cold weather.
ShareGoretti cuts power to 380,000 homes in France
About 380,000 households in France were without power on Friday morning as Storm Goretti swept through northern Europe with fierce winds.
The vast majority of the affected households were in the northern Normandy region, the Enedis power provider said in a statement, with residents also affected in Brittany, Picardy and the Ile-de-France regions, Agence France-Presse reports.
Forecasters in France and Britain have urged people to stay inside their homes.
Overnight, a wind gust of 132mph (213kmh) was registered in France’s north-western Manche region, authorities said.
Here are some of the latest images coming in as Storm Goretti pummels the UK.
Snow falls at The Square in Leominster. Photograph: Jim Wood/SOPA Images/ShutterstockA snow-covered bike in Ruthin, Wales, Britain. Photograph: Adam Vaughan/EPAA fallen tree blocks a road in Falmouth, Cornwall. Photograph: Hugh Hastings/Getty ImagesA motorist drives on a snow-covered road in Ruthin, Wales. Photograph: Adam Vaughan/EPA
And one from France of a huge wave crashing on the jetty of the harbour of Le Conquet, western France, as Goretti was announced to be approaching the country’s northern coasts.
A huge wave crashes on the jetty of the harbor of Le Conquet, western France. Photograph: AFP/Getty ImagesShare
The highest wind gusts recorded from Storm Goretti has remained 99mph in St Marys, according to the Met Office on Thursday evening.
It said in its update posted on X that the next five highest were:
Updated at 01.24 EST
The storm has cut electricity to 380,000 households in France, a power company is being reported as saying.
We’ll bring you more as it comes to hand.
Birmingham airport suspended its runway operations on Thursday evening due to heavy snow.
It posted on X a short while ago that its teams were now “completing final snow clearance and safety checks on the airfield”.
It also said:
Runway operations are still suspended at this time however passenger security processing has commenced … Passengers due to travel should contact their airline regarding the status of flights.
Updated at 00.47 EST
Network Rail has urged passengers to check for updates before they travel on Friday morning.
Some railway lines have been closed in Wales since Thursday afternoon and all trains were cancelled in Cornwall from 6pm last night, with no replacement road transport due to risky driving conditions.
In Devon, trains between Exeter and Okehampton and between Exeter and Barnstaple were also suspended from the same time because of forecast high-wind speeds.
National Rail said train services across England, Scotland and Wales might be affected until the end of Friday because of the weather.
Regional director Jake Kelly said thousands of Network Rail staff would do “everything they can to keep the railway running” but “we are concerned that the scale of the storm means there may still be some disruption”.
A train arriving at the northern English town of Glossop in Derbyshire this week. Photograph: Oli Scarff/AFP/Getty ImagesShare
Updated at 00.40 EST
Blackouts hit 50,000 properties in south-west
More than 50,000 properties were reportedly without power in south-west England on Thursday evening, the National Grid’s website said.
In the West Midlands about 9,000 had no electricity while 2,000 were without power in Wales.
As mentioned the Met Office issued a rare red warning for south-west England over “dangerous, stormy” winds.
Updated at 00.57 EST
‘Multi-hazard’ Storm Goretti brings heavy rain, strong winds and snow to UK
Heavy rain, strong winds and snow hit parts of the UK on Thursday as the “multi-hazard” Storm Goretti battered more exposed areas, caused travel disruption and saw red and amber weather warnings issued across the country.
Storm Goretti, named by Meteo France, evolved into a “weather bomb”, bringing up to 30cm of snowfall in Wales and the Midlands as well as winds of up to 100mph (160km/h) across exposed hills and coastal areas.
Amber weather warnings had been issued across the UK on Thursday with Storm Goretti expected to bring a potential risk to life in parts of the country, but a rare red warning for “dangerous, stormy” winds was issued by the Met Office later for south-west England.
The warning, from 4pm until 11pm on Thursday, saw “violent gusts” over two to three hours hit parts of Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly.
The Met Office meteorologist Alex Burkill said the storm would mean “wet, windy and wintry weather” in parts of the UK. He said Goretti would bring “some strong winds and some significant snow to central and perhaps southern parts”.
He 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.
Severe snow and icy conditions have been forecast in Scotland as winter weather continues to sweep across the UK. Photograph: Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images
There was also a yellow warning for snow and ice in Scotland from 10pm on Wednesday until midday on Thursday and a yellow warning for ice in Northern Ireland from Wednesday through to Thursday morning.
National Highways issued its own amber warning for snow in the West and East Midlands, which began at 6pm on Thursday and will stay in place until 9am on Friday. 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.
Rail services have also been affected, with National Rail advising passengers to check their journeys before travelling and Eurostar warning that customers on routes to and from London St Pancras were likely to see delays and cancellations.
While major airports have said they will be operating as normal, airports in Jersey and Guernsey closed at 6pm on Thursday due to Storm Goretti.
We will bring you weather updates as they come in.