A man has been found dead after a tree was blown onto a caravan during Storm Goretti, as severe weather warnings cover most of the UK for the remainder of the weekend.
Fatal Incident in Cornwall
Emergency services were called to the Mawgan area near Helston, Cornwall, at approximately 7.35pm on Thursday evening. Devon and Cornwall Police confirmed that a man in his 50s was discovered deceased inside the vehicle. The force stated that his death is not being treated as suspicious and that his next of kin have been informed. Work to remove the tree from the scene was carried out on Friday.
Nationwide Weather Warnings and Disruption
The Met Office has issued a complex array of weather alerts. On Saturday, yellow warnings for snow and ice were in force for Scotland, northern England, and eastern England. Icy condition warnings were issued for Wales, the Midlands, and south-west England, while Northern Ireland faced a yellow warning for heavy rainfall.
More severe amber warnings for snow were active inland from Aberdeen, Perth, and Stirling in Scotland. These warnings are expected to persist, with a yellow alert remaining in northern and western Scotland into Monday.
The storm previously generated winds of nearly 100mph, prompting a rare red warning for dangerous winds in the south-west. This has led to significant disruption:
- Approximately 27,000 properties were without power in the south-west at 9am on Saturday, according to the National Grid.
- A further 2,300 homes were affected in the West Midlands and around 300 in the East Midlands.
- Power has been fully restored in Wales.
- National Rail has warned of potential service disruptions across England, Wales, and Scotland throughout the weekend.
Downing Street has confirmed that support is being offered to households experiencing power cuts.
Flood Risk and Forecast
Forecasters have warned that a combination of melting snow and further rainfall will increase the risk of flooding in the coming days. Significant snow accumulations have already been recorded, including 27cm at Altnaharra in Sutherland and 22cm at Durris in Kincardineshire.
Met Office meteorologist Annie Shuttleworth said Saturday would begin cold with icy stretches, leading into drier and sunnier conditions for many. "Take care if you’re travelling this morning," she advised. "For most of us, it will be a dry day and for some there will be some sunshine... you’ll certainly want to be wrapping up."
The Met Office continues to advise people in alert areas to prepare for travel delays and to take extra care to avoid slips and falls on icy surfaces.
