Storm Goretti Set To Deepen UK Travel Chaos

Brace yourself: another blast of wintry weather is due to hit England and Wales this week as Storm Goretti pushes eastwards, bringing snow and strong winds that could snarl travel and life for days. Parts of the country are still recovering from heavy disruption. Temperatures plunged to -12.5C in Norfolk on Monday — the coldest night of the season so far — and more wintry conditions remain on the cards into Wednesday. Yellow alerts for ice cover much of England, Wales and southern Scotland until 10am on Wednesday, and Northern Ireland is under a similar notice until 11am. More than 1,000 schools were shut across the UK on Tuesday, from Oxfordshire up to Orkney, and pupils in parts of northern Scotland face an extra few days off. Aberdeen city and Aberdeenshire councils have announced Wednesday closures and Aberdeenshire has declared a major incident, warning that some remote communities may be isolated and power supplies could be affected. Northern Scotland faces its own gruelling forecast, with up to 20cm of new snow expected in places and strong gusts likely to cause drifting. The Met Office has a snow-and-ice warning for that region through Wednesday night. The storm’s main squeeze arrives later in the week. Snow warnings for large areas of England and Wales run from Thursday evening until midday on Friday, when a deep low pressure system crosses the south bringing rain, sleet and high winds. Cornwall, Devon and the Isles of Scilly are specifically on alert: a yellow wind warning runs from mid-afternoon to just before midnight on Thursday. Local services are gearing up for a sustained effort. Aberdeenshire has brought in extra kit — including snow blowers — and is shipping in 4,000 tonnes of grit by boat to try to keep main routes passable. Police Scotland has warned that effects will linger across the north and north-east and urged people to heed travel advice. There are already tangible knock-on impacts: seven midweek football fixtures in Scotland were called off on Tuesday. Health officials have extended an amber cold-health alert across England until Sunday, reflecting the risk to vulnerable people from prolonged exposure to low temperatures. One striking thread through this episode is the scale of local, community-led response. More than 100 farmers and contractors have been praised for rescuing stranded drivers, clearing lanes and moving supplies while also tending to their own livestock — a reminder that when infrastructure groans, neighbours often shoulder the load. Prepare for slower journeys, possible power interruptions in isolated areas, and further school closures as the country braces for another unsettled spell. --- Managing your business finances? TaxAce provides smart online accountancy services for UK businesses with flexible monthly plans. Image and reporting: https://www.theguardian.com | Read original article