UK affected by Snowstorm Goretti

Although Storm 'Goretti', which severely impacted the United Kingdom, was moving away from the British Isles, adverse weather conditions are reported to persist. Tens of thousands of people in several parts of the country are still without electricity due to strong winds of up to 99 miles per hour (159 km/h) and heavy snowfall.

New warnings for snow and ice have been issued for Scotland, Northern Ireland, and many parts of England for the upcoming weekend, with the BBC Weather department stating that despite the storm passing, rainy and windy weather will continue.

The southwest of England has been most severely affected by this storm, where rare red warnings, indicating a danger to life, were issued. Over 40,000 homes in this region have lost power, and although this represents only a small percentage of overall customers in Britain, engineers are working tirelessly to restore electricity. The Prime Minister's office has stated that power has now been restored to approximately 150,000 customers. Community centers have been opened to provide food and drink to people in affected areas, and the Red Cross is also assisting those at risk.

As a result, traffic across the country has been severely disrupted. 15 traffic warnings have been issued in Scotland, and some train services have been completely suspended. West Midlands Railway has announced that even replacement bus services cannot operate due to dangerous road conditions. Dozens of flights at Heathrow Airport were cancelled, and although Birmingham and East Midlands airports have reopened, services may be limited. The A30 road in Cornwall has been closed in both directions due to fallen trees. Authorities state that it will take several days to clear this road.

Humanitarian operations also continued amidst the storm. RNLI lifeboat crews in Falmouth responded to 7 boat incidents under hurricane conditions. Amidst winds gusting up to 90 miles per hour and heavy rain, lifeboat officers remained at sea for hours, rescuing those in distress. Meanwhile, there were reports of a woman in Derbyshire single-handedly clearing ice from roads, and a person in Cornwall holding onto their house windows against strong winds. A rugby stadium in Penzance also suffered severe damage from the storm, with parts of the main building's roof being torn off.

Currently, there have been calls for the government's emergency 'Cobra' committee to be convened to manage the situation, with MPs emphasizing the need for urgent assistance to southwest England. However, the Meteorological Department has advised the public to remain vigilant, as further yellow weather warnings have been issued for Scotland, northern England, and the Midlands from 2 AM to 3 PM on the upcoming Sunday.