Storm Goretti is forecast to bring gusts of 100mph or more
The wind warning for the Isles of Scilly and much of Cornwall has now been upgraded to a Red warning due to an increase in likelihood of exceptionally strong winds that could cause significant impacts.
The Met Office says winds are set to rapidly increase on Thursday evening and are due to last for two to three hours – before easing later. An Amber warning for snow has also been issued for Wales and the Midlands and parts of northern England.
Meteorologists explain that a deep area of low pressure is crossing the south of the UK which will bring a ‘multi-hazard’ event through the rest of Thursday and into Friday.
Numerous Yellow warnings for wind, snow and rain have also been issued across different regions of England and Wales.
‘A Red severe weather warning for wind has been issued for the Isles of Scilly and much of Cornwall,’ says Neil Armstrong, Met Office Chief Forecaster.
‘Storm Goretti will bring exceptionally strong gusts in the Red warning area which could reach 100 mph or more.’
‘Winds are expected to increase rapidly with violent gusts that may persist for 2-3 hours before easing.’
‘Heavy snow will affect Wales, the Midlands and parts of northern England overnight and through Friday morning. This multi-hazard event will bring significant disruption to many.’
‘This is a complex spell of severe weather’
‘Goretti will bring snow on its northern edge, this most likely over Wales and the Midlands. Here accumulations of 10-15 cm are likely widely, with 20-30 cm possible in some places, especially higher ground in Wales and the Peak District.’
‘An Amber warning has been issued where the greatest risk of disruption is likely on Thursday night into Friday morning.’
‘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 strongest winds in the UK associated with this system are expected to affect the west of Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly where gusts could reach 100mph in exposed coastal locations. Very large waves will bring dangerous conditions to coastal areas.
The Met Office explains these are exceptional wind speeds and could be stronger than other storms in recent memory such as Storm Ciaran in 2023 and Storm Eunice in 2022.
Strong winds, with gusts of 50-60 mph, will affect the far southwest of Wales and other parts of southern England, especially exposed coasts and hills.
Even stronger winds from Storm Goretti are expected in the Channel Islands and northern France, which is why the storm has been named by Météo-France and does not use a storm name from the Met Office storm list.
Rain will be an additional hazard
Storm Goretti is also expected to bring a spell of snow, with the largest snowfalls most likely to be across Wales and parts of the Midlands, where a further Amber warning has been issued.
Rain will be an additional hazard, particularly for parts of southwest Wales and eastern England as Goretti moves through.
Prior to the latest update, Breaktime News previously reported on the Amber warnings for wind being issued for the west of Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly.