Hurricane Goretti brings 99 mph winds and snow and knocks out power to 57,000 properties

Storm Goretti caused winds of 99 mph (159 km/h) and heavy snowfall in Britain, leaving thousands without power.

A rare red weather warning issued by the Met Office for Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly has ended, but an amber snow warning still remains in place across much of the West Midlands, Wales, Gloucestershire, and Yorkshire.

Authorities in the Midlands are preparing for the “worst snowfall in a decade” as 30 cm (11 inches) is expected to fall and travel disruptions are expected until the morning.

More than 42,700 properties in south-west England are without power, with 13,000 in the West Midlands and 1,000 in Wales also without power, according to National Grid’s website.

Earlier on Thursday night, the supply to about 65,000 properties across the country had stopped.

Widespread disruption on roads and rail networks is expected until Friday.

The red wind warning for Cornwall began at 16:00 GMT and ended at 23:00. The Met Office says “exceptionally strong winds” are likely to cause damage to buildings and homes.

On Thursday evening, the Met Office predicted that damaging winds would hit Cornwall, the Channel Islands, and parts of northern France.

The Met Office said winds gusted up to 99 mph at St Mary’s Airport on the Isles of Scilly.

Two emergency alerts were sent to the mobile phones of around 500,000 people in Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly to warn of dangerous conditions.

At many places, the winds appear to have crossed their peak.

Overnight, winds reached 70 mph in the Channel Islands, 55 mph in Langdon Bay, Kent, and 45–50 mph in the southwest of England.

Some winds are forming in the east, but not as much as in the Southwest and Channel Islands.

A major incident was declared in Jersey, where its weather agency also issued a red warning from 19:00 to 03:00 in line with high winds.

Earlier in the night, rain had begun on higher ground in Wales, with snow falling around Libanus, 282 metres (890 ft) above sea level.

The heaviest snow appears to be falling in the Midlands and southern Wales, with 15 cm (5.9 in) of snow recorded at Lake Vyrnwy.

In Nottingham, snow depth reached 7 cm (2.7 in).

In Wales and the Peak District, the snow will hang around the longest, with up to 20–30 cm of snowfall possible in some places. The ice will make some roads impassable and some communities will be cut off and transportation will be severely affected. There may also be some power cuts.

There are also yellow warnings for rain, wind, snow and ice across parts of Scotland, Wales, and England.

Storm Goretti, named by French forecasters, is currently developing rapidly in the Atlantic, with a massive cloud shield covering much of Northern Ireland, England and Wales.

There was an avalanche warning for Yr Wyddfa, also known as Snowdon, in Wales, while local authorities in the West Midlands said they were Preparing for potentially the worst snowfall in a decade.

Heavy rains could also cause localised flooding in southwest Wales and parts of eastern England.

Snowfall and rain will start reducing on Friday morning, but there is a possibility of some disruption in the morning journey due to snow on the ground.

Railway passengers have been advised to check their journey before traveling on Thursday and Friday. National rail services are likely to be suspended or disrupted.

In the southwest, all trains after 18:00 in Cornwall were suspended, with no replacement services, while some services in Devon were also cancelled.

East Midlands Railway is not running between Manchester Piccadilly and Sheffield all day on Thursday evening and Friday. No replacement buses will run.

Experts have urged drivers to heed ice and snow warnings and avoid driving on Thursday evening and Friday evening, with the AA saying wintry conditions can “reduce visibility in a matter of seconds.”

A man told the BBC that he was driving “cautiously” on the A887 to Edinburgh with his wife when a tree suddenly fell on their car.

“It was quite unbelievable,” said Gerard Kearney, who said the tree “bounced” off his bonnet. He was able to avoid any serious damage, barring a few minor scratches on the paintwork.

Meanwhile, Birmingham Airport has suspended runway use due to heavy snowfall. It advised passengers to contact their airlines about the status of their flights.

Meanwhile, some schools are expected to remain closed on Friday, with dozens in the Midlands and Wales announcing they will not open in the area under an amber weather warning.

Nearly 100 schools in Cornwall closed early on Thursday ahead of the storm’s arrival.

Scotland will close more than 250 schools on Friday, indicating that many students have yet to return from their festive holidays.

In Norfolk, owners of 14 clifftop homes are revealed. Don’t stay in your homes; there is a risk of rockfall during stormy weather on Thursday. They have been warned that their houses are in danger of imminent collapse and must be demolished.

An AMBER warning for heavy snowfall is in effect for the following areas until 09:00 AM Friday:

• midlands
• wales
• southwest England
• Yorkshire and Humber

A yellow weather warning for snow, ice and rain is also in effect for the following areas:

• Shetland Islands (ice) 16:00 to 20:00 Thursday
• Midlands, Yorkshire, Wales, North West and South West England, North East England, East of England, South East England (snow) – until Friday afternoon
• Lincolnshire and parts of the east of England including Cambridgeshire, Norfolk, Peterborough and Suffolk (rain) – until 21:00 on Friday
• South East England, Wales, and South West England (wind)—until 06:00 on Friday.
• Northern Ireland will experience snow from 00:00 to 11:00 on Friday.

Over the past week, the Arctic blast has caused temperatures to drop between 4 and 10°C below the January average.

The UK Health Protection Agency (UKHSA) has issued a winter health alert for England that will last until Monday.

Low temperatures have already triggered the government’s cold weather payment in at least 697 postcodes across England, Wales, and Northern Ireland. This means that more than one million families will get money.