The UK is bracing for a severe bout of winter weather as the year's first named storm, Storm Goretti, is set to strike. The French meteorological service, Météo-France, named the system, which is forecast to bring a potent mix of heavy snow and damaging winds, particularly to southern regions on Thursday and Friday.
Widespread Warnings and a Major Incident Declared
This new threat follows the coldest night of the winter so far, recorded on Monday, 5th January 2026. Temperatures plunged to a low of -12.5°C in Marham, Norfolk, with Dalwhinnie in the Scottish Highlands seeing -11.2°C. In response to the ongoing and impending severe conditions, authorities in Aberdeenshire have declared a major incident.
The local council warns of a prolonged period of significant impact, including:
- Likely travel delays, with potential for stranded vehicles and passengers.
- Probable cancellations to rail and air travel.
- A high chance that some rural communities could become cut off.
- Power cuts are likely, which may also affect mobile phone coverage.
- Dangerous icy surfaces leading to a risk of injuries from slips and falls.
Furthermore, the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has extended its amber cold health alerts across England until midday on Sunday, 11th January, highlighting the serious risk to public health.
Met Office Forecast: Snow, Ice, and Severe Gales
The Met Office has issued a cascade of fresh weather warnings. For Wednesday, three yellow warnings are in effect: for ice across Northern Ireland and much of England and Wales; and for snow and ice across northern Scotland.
The situation is expected to escalate on Thursday. Sky News meteorologist Dr Christopher England stated that while the exact track remains uncertain, the most likely scenario involves heavy rain spreading from the southwest on Thursday, turning to snow from Wales across to East Anglia.
He warned of "significant falls" of snow and "severe gales around southern coasts." Correspondingly, the Met Office has issued a new yellow wind warning for southwest England and a yellow snow warning for much of Wales, the Midlands, Bath, Bristol, and Oxford.
This snow warning, valid until midday Friday, indicates that 5-10cm of snow may settle widely, with up to 20cm possible in some locations, especially over higher ground.
Ongoing Disruption and Travel Chaos
The severe weather is already causing major disruption. On Tuesday, two amber snow warnings were active in Scotland, leading to hundreds of school closures in Shetland, Orkney, and Aberdeenshire.
National Rail has confirmed that train services in northern Scotland will be disrupted until the end of Tuesday. With Storm Goretti's arrival, this travel chaos is anticipated to spread southwards, affecting road, rail, and air networks across the UK as the week progresses.
The combination of the existing deep freeze, further heavy snow, and powerful winds from Storm Goretti marks a multi-hazard weather event, urging the public to pay close attention to forecasts and official warnings.
