The UK is bracing for severe travel disruption as Storm Goretti powers up, bringing heavy snow and plunging temperatures.
A rare red wind warning has been issued by the Met Office for south-west England, while amber alerts for snow are in place in Wales, the Midlands and parts of northern England.
Airports and rail operators are taking precautions, with closures and widespread cancellations coming into effect this evening.
Channel Island airports close for Storm Goretti
Both Jersey and Guernsey, islands in the Channel, have said they will close their airports at 6pm this evening.
At Jersey airport, most flights have been cancelled or rescheduled from 5pm GMT onwards. A message on its website advises passengers, “We expect to reopen on Friday 9 January, however some flights may be affected. Check with your airline for information.”
The government of Jersey has urged people to remain at home between 8pm and midnight, and stay away from the coast, after a red wind warning was issued.
At Guernsey airport, most flights have been grounded this afternoon, as well as early morning services tomorrow, 9 January.
“Airlines will be contacting affected passengers with advice on how to rearrange their travel,” the airport says.
Loganair, the UK’s largest regional airline, has grounded flights to Orkney, Shetland and Lewis in Scotland, as well as the Channel Islands.
The carrier is offering passengers the option to rebook without charge.
“You can choose to re-book on an alternative flight up to 14 days from your original travel date. There will be no change fee or difference in fare payable. If a seat is available on an alternative flight, you can transfer your booking to that flight,” it said.
Most of the other airports in the UK say they will be operating as normal today and tomorrow.
London Gatwick and London Heathrow airports are experiencing some delays as well as cancellations of flights to and from Ireland, the Channel Islands and a few European destinations.
Trains cancelled and delayed across the UK
Rail services have been significantly impacted by heavy snowfall, wind and rain.
Trains in Cornwall have been cancelled from 6pm GMT today until Friday morning.
“Replacement road transport will not be available as road conditions are expected to be at risk,” National Rail has warned travellers.
Elsewhere in England, operator CrossCountry is cutting back its service on some routes from 3pm GMT, including between Manchester and Birmingham, Reading and Birmingham, and Bristol and Birmingham.
The East Midlands Railway network has halted trains on the line between Sheffield and Manchester until the start of service on Saturday.
From 7pm, London Northwestern Railway and West Midlands Railway will operate a reduced timetable.
In Scotland, LNER services between Aberdeen and Edinburgh are gradually returning to normal after several cancellations.
Across the country, rail operators including Avanti West Coast, Great Western Railway and LNER are reducing services from 3pm today.
Across the Channel, France’s national rail operator SNCF has suspended several services this evening, with Storm Goretti expected to bring strong wind gusts to western France, reaching up to 160 km/h on the Normandy coast.
Trains in Normandy, Brittany and Centre-Val de Loire are affected. Disruptions are expected until Friday.
Ferries opt for early sailing or cancellation
Ferries are also being affected by the powerful winds.
Irish Ferries has brought forward some sailings between Holyhead and Dublin this evening and this morning.
Several of its Dover-Calais services today and tomorrow are delayed or cancelled.
Brittany Ferries has cancelled its 8.30am sailing from Poole to Cherbourg on Friday 9 January.
Northlink, which operates ferries between mainland Scotland and Orkney and Shetland, warns of “the possibility of disruption to our services from Friday 9 January 2026 through to Monday 12 January 2026”.
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