Warning: Amber
To expect: Snow
Affected areas: East Midlands, South West England, Wales, West Midlands, Yorkshire and Humber
Start time estimate: Thursday 8pm
End time estimate: Friday 9am
Storm Goretti prompts the Met Office to issue an Amber snow warning for East Midlands, South West England, Wales, West Midlands and Yorkshire and Humber across the UK for Thursday and Friday.
The warning is covering parts of East Midlands, South West England, Wales, West Midlands, Yorkshire and Humber. All local areas affected are listed below.
Snow will settle over the regions. The wintry showers are expected to arrive across the areas on Thursday at around 8pm, and it will last until Friday 9am.
The Amber alert for snow was issued at 11:57am on Wednesday, January 7.
A Met Office forecast said: “Rain associated with Storm Goretti will turn readily to heavy snow on Thursday evening, initially on hills and then to lower levels overnight, before easing through the course of Friday morning. Accumulations of 10-15 cm are likely fairly widely, with the potential for 20-30 cm in some locations, mainly on hills above 200 m elevation, more especially in Wales and/or the Peak District. Snow will ease through the course of Friday morning, turning more to rain or sleet at times at low levels, but disruption is likely to persist into Friday after snow stops falling. There is some uncertainty over the exact track of Storm Goretti, which will influence the locations most likely to see disruptive snow, and it is possible this warning may be updated. The low pressure system has been named by Meteo France, as the strongest winds associated with Storm Goretti are most likely over northern France.”
What to expect
Travel delays on roads are likely, stranding some vehicles and passengers; Some delays and cancellations to rail and air travel are likely; There is a good chance that some rural communities could become cut off; Power cuts are likely and other services, such as mobile phone coverage, may be affected.
What should you do?
It is safer not to drive in these conditions, but if you need to make an essential journey, consider alternative forms of transport, to keep you and others safe. If you must drive, do this more safely by: using dipped headlights; accelerating gently, using low revs and changing to higher gears as quickly as possible; starting in second gear to help with wheel slip; maintaining a safe and steady speed, keeping distance from other vehicles; using a low gear to go downhill, avoiding braking unless necessary; steering into skids, not taking your hands off the wheel, and avoiding slamming on brakes. People cope better with power cuts when they have prepared for them in advance. It’s easy to do; consider gathering torches and batteries, a mobile phone power pack and other essential items. If isolated due to snow, follow these simple steps to keep safe and well: keep the thermostat set to the same temperature both during the day and at night; turn off electrical heaters and put out your fire before going to bed; ensure pets are safe by keeping them warm and comfortable; prevent frozen pipes by opening kitchen and bathroom cabinet doors to allow warmer air to circulate around the plumbing; stay indoors, wrap up warm and close internal doors to keep the heat in; and, if you need support call the British Red Cross Support Line on 0808 196 3651. Help to protect vulnerable people that you know including older people, those with underlying conditions and those who live alone; they may need support with food and medical supplies. If you are worried about your health or that of somebody you know, ring NHS 111. Stay up to date with the weather forecast for your area and follow advice from emergency services and local authorities. For further details see Met Office Warnings & Advice.
Full list of local regions affected
East Midlands
Derby, Derbyshire, Leicester, Leicestershire, Northamptonshire, Nottingham, Nottinghamshire, Rutland
South West England
Gloucestershire
Wales
Blaenau Gwent, Caerphilly, Carmarthenshire, Ceredigion, Conwy, Denbighshire, Gwynedd, Merthyr Tydfil, Monmouthshire, Powys, Rhondda Cynon Taf, Torfaen, Wrexham
West Midlands
Herefordshire, Shropshire, Staffordshire, Telford and Wrekin, Warwickshire, West Midlands Conurbation, Worcestershire
Yorkshire and Humber
South Yorkshire, West Yorkshire
What is an amber weather warning?
The Met Office has three categories of weather warning, depending on the likely impact of severe weather and also how likely it is to strike in a particular area.
A yellow warning is issued when weather conditions are expected to disrupt travel and traffic and may impact on daily routines but are not likely to pose a risk to life or property.
An amber warning is more severe and advises people to think about changing their plans to minimise the risk.
A red warning means weather conditions are expected to be dangerous with widespread damage to property and a risk to life, with the public usually advised to avoid travelling.
The Amber weather alert for snow will remain in place until 9am on Friday.