Storm Goretti: Rare red weather warning issued as storm brings 100mph winds

The Met Office has issued a rare red weather warning for parts of south-west England as Storm Goretti brings “dangerous, stormy winds of up to 100mph” with a risk to life. Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly are covered by the highest-level warning from 4pm to 11p.

The Met Office said the rapidly strengthening north-westerly winds could lead to roofs being blown off buildings, flying debris and huge waves battering coastal roads and seafronts.

Power outages are also likely, with fallen trees and downed power lines expected to cause road closures and transport disruption.

Around half a million mobile phones in the affected areas have received emergency alerts, which cause compatible devices to emit a loud alarm for around 10 seconds.

A Cabinet Office spokesperson said two emergency alerts were being issued, one to the Isles of Scilly at around 3pm on Thursday and another to Cornwall at approximately 5pm.

Almost 100 schools across Cornwall have closed, while Cornwall Council said it would provide regular updates throughout the storm. National Rail has announced that all train services in Cornwall will be suspended from 6pm until Friday morning.

The Met Office has advised residents to avoid travelling by road while conditions are at their worst.

The Met Office said the most severe conditions are expected to last for two to three hours before easing, although strong winds will continue under a wider yellow warning into Friday morning. Dangerous coastal conditions are also expected due to very large waves.

Red weather warnings are only issued in exceptional circumstances. The last time the Met Office issued a red alert was January last year during Storm Éowyn for the central belt of Scotland.

There was also one issued for south-west England and south-west Wales during Storm Darragh in December 2024.

Forecasters have described Storm Goretti as a ‘weather bomb’ – also known as explosive cyclogenesis – meaning when a storm’s central pressure drops by 24 millibars in 24 hours.

The plummeting pressure is caused by a super-strong jet stream sucking air out from the storm column, which leads to even more air being drawn from the wider area.

Storm Goretti is expected to bring wintry weather to much of the UK today and tomorrow with amber and yellow weather warnings issued elsewhere.

As much as 30cm of snow could fall in the Midlands, in what’s being dubbed a belated white Christmas.