The UK is reeling from the double punch of Storm Goretti. A rare "Red Warning" for wind saw gusts of 99mph batter the Isles of Scilly, while heavy snow has paralyzed Scotland and Wales, leaving over 37,000 homes without power.

The Met Office described the storm as a "multi-hazard event." In Braemar, Aberdeenshire, temperatures plunged to -13.3°C, the coldest night of the winter so far. Meanwhile, flooding alerts are in place for the south-west as heavy rains follow the wind.

Disruption Nationwide

• Power Cuts: The National Grid is racing to reconnect homes in the South West and Midlands. For families without heating in sub-zero temperatures, the situation is becoming critical.
• Travel Hell: Birmingham Airport temporarily closed, and trains across the north are cancelled. Drivers have been warned to avoid all non-essential travel as black ice turns roads into skating rinks.
• School Closures: Hundreds of schools in Scotland and Northern England remain shut. The disruption is expected to bleed into next week as a new weather front approaches on Sunday.

Climate Reality

Meteorologists note that the intensity of Storm Goretti—bringing hurricane-force winds and blizzard conditions simultaneously—is consistent with climate change models predicting more extreme winter weather events for the UK.