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Brace yourselves – the first named storm of 2026 is here. And, according the Met Office, it’s going to be a ‘multi-hazard event’.
Storm Goretti, which has been named by French meteorological service Meteo France, will arrive in the UK this week. With it comes weather warnings across almost all parts of the country. Over the next few days, Brits can expect lots of rain, heavy snow, ice and gale force winds, with potential disruption to power supply and to road, rail and air travel.
Here’s everything you need to know about when Storm Goretti will land, how long it’ll last and where will be hit the worst.
When will Storm Goretti hit the UK?
Goretti will cross into England and Wales in the evening of Thursday January 8. Met Office Deputy Chief Forecaster Chris Bulmer said: ‘A deepening area of low pressure – named Storm Goretti by Meteo France – will move across the south of the UK during Thursday and into Friday January 9.
‘It will clash with the very cold air here, meaning Thursday night could be what we call a “multi-hazard” event, with snow on the northern flank of the low, wind and rain on the southern flank.’
Which areas will be worst hit by the storm?
The areas that will be worst affected by Storm Goretti will be in the south and southwest of the country. The Met Office says that snow accumulations of up to 30cm are possible in the Midlands and Wales, while Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly are under a red weather warning for high winds.
Full list of weather warnings for Storm Goretti
Here are all the weather warnings that are in place and the affected regions, according to the Met Office (find an up-to-date forecast here)
Red warning for wind
Impacted regions for 4pm to 11pm on Thursday:
- Cornwall
- Isles of Scilly
Amber warning for snow
Impacted regions for 8pm Thursday to 9am Friday)
- Derby
- Derbyshire
- Leicester
- Leicestershire
- Northamptonshire
- Nottingham
- Nottinghamshire
- Rutland
- Gloucestershire
- Blaenau Gwent
- Caerphilly
- Carmarthenshire
- Ceredigion
- Conwy
- Denbighshire
- Gwynedd
- Merthyr Tydfil
- Monmouthshire
- Powys
- Rhondda Cynon Taf
- Torfaen
- Wrexham
- Herefordshire
- Shropshire
- Staffordshire
- Telford and Wrekin
- Warwickshire
- West Midlands Conurbation
- Worcestershire
- South Yorkshire
- West Yorkshire
Yellow warning for snow and ice
Impacted regions for 8pm Thursday to 12pm Friday:
- Angus
- Clackmannanshire
- Dundee
- Falkirk
- Fife
- Perth and Kinross
- Stirling
- Aberdeen
- Aberdeenshire
- Moray
- Na h-Eileanan Siar
- Highland
- Darlington
- Durham
- Gateshead
- Hartlepool
- Middlesbrough
- Newcastle upon Tyne
- North Tyneside
- Northumberland
- Redcar and Cleveland
- South Tyneside
- Stockton-on-Tees
- Sunderland
- Cumbria
- Orkney Islands
- Shetland Islands
- Dumfries and Galloway
- East Lothian
- Edinburgh
- Midlothian Council
- Scottish Borders
- West Lothian
- East Ayrshire
- East Dunbartonshire
- East Renfrewshire
- Glasgow
- North Lanarkshire
- South Lanarkshire
- North Yorkshire
Yellow warning for snow
Impacted regions for 8pm Thursday to 9am Friday:
- Devon
- Somerset
Impacted regions for 5pm Thursday to 12pm Friday:
- Derby
- Derbyshire
- Leicester
- Leicestershire
- Lincolnshire
- Northamptonshire
- Nottingham
- Nottinghamshire
- Rutland
- Bedford
- Cambridgeshire
- Central Bedfordshire
- Hertfordshire
- Luton
- Peterborough
- Buckinghamshire
- Milton Keynes
- Oxfordshire
- West Berkshire
- Durham
- Northumberland
- Cheshire East
- Cumbria
- Greater Manchester
- Lancashire
- Bath and North East Somerset
- Bristol
- Gloucestershire
- North Somerset
- Somerset
- South Gloucestershire
- Swindon
- Wiltshire
- Blaenau Gwent
- Bridgend
- Caerphilly
- Cardiff
- Carmarthenshire
- Ceredigion
- Conwy
- Denbighshire
- Flintshire
- Gwynedd
- Merthyr Tydfil
- Monmouthshire
- Neath Port Talbot
- Newport
- Pembrokeshire
- Powys
- Rhondda Cynon Taf
- Torfaen
- Wrexham
- Herefordshire
- Shropshire
- Staffordshire
- Stoke-on-Trent
- Telford and Wrekin
- Warwickshire
- West Midlands Conurbation
- Worcestershire
- North Yorkshire
- South Yorkshire
- West Yorkshire
Yellow warning for wind
Impacted regions for 3pm Thursday to 8am Friday:
- Brighton and Hove
- East Sussex
- Hampshire
- Isle of Wight
- Kent
- Portsmouth
- West Sussex
- Bournemouth Christchurch and Poole
- Cornwall
- Devon
- Dorset
- Isles of Scilly
- Plymouth
- Somerset
- Torbay
- Pembrokeshire
- Swansea
Yellow warning for rain
Impacted regions for 12pm Thursday to 10am Friday:
- Carmarthenshire
- Ceredigion
- Neath Port Talbot
- Pembrokeshire
- Swansea
Impacted regions for 6pm Thursday to 9pm Friday:
- Lincolnshire
- Cambridgeshire
- Norfolk
- Peterborough
- Suffolk
- North East Lincolnshire
- North Lincolnshire
How to stay safe in snow and ice
Those aren’t the only warnings in place. The UK Health Security Agency has issued an amber cold health alert for all regions of England effective until 12pm on Sunday January 11. The main advice to the public is to try and minimise trips outside as much as possible while the storm is active.
Adam Stachura, Age Scotland’s policy director, advised to the Met Office: ‘With such cold temperatures and icy conditions ahead, try and make sure you have enough food and any important medications at home to reduce the need for unnecessary and potentially risky trips. This is particularly important if you have mobility challenges or are unsteady on your feet by avoiding slips, falls and the need for medical attention.
‘If heating your home is a challenge, try and stay warm in the room or place you will spend most of your time by wearing layered clothing, taking warm drinks and food with some regular movement to help with circulation and keeping your muscles active.
‘And if you are out clearing paths and your drive of snow an ice, please think about also doing so for your older neighbours to help make it easier for them to leave the house if they need to. That act of kindness will go a long way.’
What about London? Here’s when and how much snow is forecast to fall in the capital this week.
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