Storm Goretti latest: House ripped open after strong winds – as Britons warned of aftermath this weekend

Friday, 9 January 2026 

Storm Goretti continues to batter parts of the UK, leaving tens of thousands of homes without electricity, disrupting travel and prompting fresh weather warnings as icy conditions are expected to persist through the weekend.

Strong winds and heavy snowfall swept across the country on Thursday, toppling trees, damaging homes and bringing down power lines. In Cornwall, at least one house was severely damaged after trees fell onto the property, while widespread disruption has been reported across the South West, Midlands and parts of Wales.

Hundreds of schools were forced to close on Friday, and many motorists were left stranded as snow, ice and fallen debris made roads hazardous. Dozens of flights were also cancelled amid difficult weather conditions.

The Met Office has warned that dangerous conditions are likely to continue into Saturday and Sunday. A yellow ice warning is in place until midday on Saturday for Wales, the East and West Midlands, parts of the North West and areas of southern England, including the South West and South East. Forecasters say partially thawed snow is expected to refreeze, accompanied by freezing fog and occasional wintry showers.

A separate yellow snow and ice warning remains in force until 3pm on Saturday across much of Scotland and the North East of England, where further snow accumulations are possible. Northern Ireland is also under a yellow warning until 11am on Saturday due to icy patches and hill snow.

In an update on Friday afternoon, National Grid said it had restored power to the majority of affected properties and that engineers were working around the clock to reconnect remaining customers. Additional staff have been deployed to the South West and West Midlands, where the impact of the storm has been most severe.

The company added that customers in the Midlands, South West England and South Wales may be entitled to automatic compensation if guaranteed service standards were not met during the outages. It also shared information on welfare support, including warm spaces offering food and drinks, for those still without electricity.

Meanwhile, motorists have been urged to avoid unnecessary travel and to take extra precautions if they must drive, including fully clearing snow and ice from vehicles and allowing windscreens to defrost properly before setting off.

The Met Office has warned that further disruption is possible as Storm Goretti’s effects linger, urging the public to stay alert to updated forecasts and official advice.