Storm Goretti batters Britain: Snow closes airport runway, 99mph winds thrash through Cornwall and travel chaos predicted

The storm has seen all flights from Birmingham Airport halted due to heavy snow, with passengers warned to expect delays and cancellations as a result.

The Midlands has also seen a spate of cancellations on the railways, with Birmingham New Street station confirming that three major lines have been shut.

The terminus has warned passenger not to travel as the storm continued to bring snow across the region.

The Cross City, Birmingham to Wolverhampton, and Snow Hill to Solihull lines are all shut.

West Midlands Rail has issued a Do Not Travel advisory which extends into Friday morning as the provider attempts to get to grips with the conditions.

A statement from Birmingham Airport said "passengers due to travel should contact their airline regarding the status of flights".

They added: "The safety of our colleagues and customers is our number one priority and this decision has been made with this in mind. We apologise for any inconvenience this may cause."

The Met Office said “violent gusts” will hit parts of Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly, bringing a potential danger to life.

As a result the forecaster has issued a rare red warning for wind.

The warning, in place from 4pm to 11pm, says people should expect damage to buildings and homes, very large waves, flying debris resulting in danger to life, power cuts and public transport cancellations.

Gale-force winds of 99mph have already been recorded at St Mary’s Airport on the Isles of Scilly this evening, a new record for the area.

The last red weather warning in the UK was in association with Storm Eowyn in January 2025, which was a red wind warning and covered parts of central and southern Scotland, according to the Met Office.

The warning saw thousands receive an emergency alert to their phones, warning them of the conditions in the south west and Isles of Scilly.

More than 47,000 properties in the South West have been left without power brought about by the "dangerous, storm" winds.

A further 5,000 also had none in the West Midlands and 2,000 in Wales, according to the National Grid's website.

The storm, named by French weather forecaster Meteo France, has been described as a “multi-hazard event” by the Met Office, with as much of 30cm of snow possible in parts of the UK.

Met Office chief forecaster Neil Armstrong said: "Storm Goretti will be a multi-hazard event, with the most significant impacts from snow in parts of Wales and the Midlands and the very strong winds in the far South West, though heavy rain in some parts of Wales and East Anglia also has the potential to bring disruption to many.

"Goretti will bring snow on its northern edge, this most likely over Wales and the Midlands.

“This is a complex spell of severe weather and I’d advise people in the warning areas to keep up to date with the forecast and messages from local authorities.”

The Met Office said that winds during a weather bomb can be “strong enough to bring down trees and cause structural damage”.

A yellow warning for wind has also been issued for the rest of the south coast and Wales, where gusts of up to 70mph are forecast.

The weather service said the “exceptional” wind speeds could be stronger than recent storms such as Ciaran in 2023 and Eunice in 2022.

Meanwhile, an amber warning for snow runs from 8pm until 9am on Friday covering parts of Wales, the Midlands and Yorkshire.

The Met Office said rain associated with the storm in these areas will turn to “heavy snow”, which may lead to some rural communities being cut off.

About 10 to 15cm of snow is likely across the warning area, with up to 30cm on higher ground in Wales and the Peak District.

Dozens of schools across the Midlands and Wales have announced they will be closed on Friday where the amber weather warning has been issued.

The Met Office’s website says amber weather warnings are issued when there is an increased likelihood of impacts from severe weather, including the possibility of travel delays, road and rail closures, power cuts and the potential risk to life and property.

Yellow warnings are issued for a range of weather situations, including when it is likely that the weather will cause some low level impacts, including some disruption to travel in a few places, or when the weather could bring much more severe impacts to the majority of people but the certainty of those impacts occurring is much lower, according to the Met Office.