As Britain remained in the grip of a bitter Arctic blast that has disrupted travel and everyday life around the country in recent days, forecasters warned that conditions could worsen later in the week with the arrival of a storm that could lead to a multi-hazard event across parts of England and Wales.
Chris Bulmer, a deputy chief forecaster at the Met Office, Britain’s national weather service, said the storm — officially named Storm Goretti by the French meteorological service — is expected to move across the south of Britain on Thursday and Friday, delivering snow on its northern flank, while bringing rain and strong winds farther south. The storm is expected to bring dangerous conditions along the English Channel and powerful winds to northern France, as well.
In anticipation, the Met Office issued a yellow warning — the lowest in its three-tier warning system — for snow from Thursday evening through midday Friday across much of Wales and central and eastern England. Forecasters said up to 20 centimeters of snow, or almost eight inches, could accumulate, especially over the higher ground of Wales, which could lead to travel disruptions and difficult driving conditions.
Strong winds are expected to be an additional hazard. A separate yellow wind warning was issued for southwest England, where gusts of up to 70 miles per hour were forecast across exposed coasts. Forecasters said the strong winds could also lead to drifting snow.
Forecasters said that the warnings could be updated, and possibly escalated, as confidence in the storm’s track and intensity become more certain in the coming days.
Like much of Northern Europe, Britain has been engulfed by an ongoing cold spell since the end of last year, disrupting travel and keeping hundreds of schools closed after the Christmas holidays. Since the end of December,a bitter Arctic air has mass settled over the country, driving temperatures well below seasonal norms. The lowest temperature of the season so far was recorded on Monday night, when temperatures plunged to minus 12.5 degrees Celsius, or 9.5 degrees Fahrenheit, in Norfolk, in eastern England.
The persistent cold prompted the health agency to place all of England under amber cold health alerts — level two of its three-tier system — at the start of the year. The agency warned that the cold conditions were likely to have severe impacts on health and social care services, including an increase in deaths, particularly among people aged 65 or older and those with underlying health conditions. The alerts, aimed at professionals within the health and social care sectors, are set to remain in effect through Sunday.
Snow has already caused significant disruptions in parts of the country, especially across Scotland. In the village of Tomintoul, in Moray, accumulations reached 52 centimeters — more than a foot and a half — by Monday.
Ahead of Storm Goretti’s arrival, forecasters said winter weather was expected to bring additional hazards on Wednesday, with snow and ice warnings in effect across much of Britain and Northern Ireland. An additional 15 centimeters of snow was expected in parts of Scotland.
While rain and snow associated with Storm Goretti are forecast to clear eastward during Friday night, forecasters said the cold is expected to linger. Below-average temperatures are likely to persist through the weekend, with continued snow and ice hazards.
Nazaneen Ghaffar is a Times reporter on the Weather team.
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