More than 57,000 homes across the UK are facing power cuts on Friday, January 9, as Storm Goretti brings heavy snow and disruptive winds. The National Grid has confirmed the widespread outages, with the South West of England bearing the brunt of the disruption.
Full List of Areas Affected by Power Cuts
The latest figures released by the National Grid show a stark regional breakdown of the supply issues. Approximately 43,400 properties are without power in the south west, where a red weather warning was in place. In the West Midlands, including Birmingham, some 13,700 buildings have lost supply. A further 1,700 homes are affected in the East Midlands and 600 in Wales, bringing the total to around 57,000.
A spokesperson for National Grid stated: "Storm Goretti has moved into parts of our network. We want to reassure customers that we are fully prepared and ready to respond as the weather intensifies. We have well‑rehearsed contingency plans in place, with additional engineers, vehicles and equipment positioned in the areas most likely to see severe conditions."
Weather Warnings and Travel Disruption
The Met Office's amber weather warning for snow remains in force across Wales, the Midlands and into northern England until 09:00 GMT. BBC Weather presenter Simon King confirmed that while Storm Goretti is easing, a wintry mix of rain, sleet and snow continues to cause problems.
"The amber warning is still in place where the expected snow overnight fell widely," said King. "Official snow depths this morning are showing 16 cm in Lake Vrynwy in Powys and 8 cm in Nottingham." He added that headteachers are making decisions on school closures and commuters are facing significant transport network delays.
Wind Gusts Begin to Ease After Peak
Following extremely powerful winds in south-west England, conditions are gradually improving. BBC forecaster Paul Goddard noted: "It seems the winds have now passed their peak in many places." However, overnight gusts reached 70mph in the Channel Islands and 45-50mph in South-West England, with a 55mph gust recorded at Langdon Bay in Kent.
The heaviest snow has been recorded across the Midlands and southern Wales. Alongside the 16cm at Lake Vyrnwy, Nottingham saw 7cm of snow, while 3cm was recorded in Liscombe on Exmoor. Residents in affected areas are advised to check National Grid updates and travel only if absolutely necessary.
