More than 50,000 homes across the United Kingdom have been plunged into darkness as Storm Goretti unleashes ferocious winds and severe weather conditions. The Met Office has identified 73 specific areas at immediate risk of power outages, with the national weather service warning of a "multi-hazard" event bringing snow, heavy rain, and winds gusting up to 100mph.
Nationwide Disruption and Severe Warnings
The storm, which swept across the country on Friday, 9th January 2026, has already caused significant damage to infrastructure. According to the latest data from National Grid, over 321 locations are reporting power failures, with each incident potentially affecting hundreds of properties. The Met Office has issued an amber weather warning for parts of the East Midlands, South West England, Wales, the West Midlands, and Yorkshire and the Humber, which remains in force until Friday morning.
Furthermore, a broader yellow warning covering snow, ice, rainfall, and wind affects much of Britain until midday on Friday. Residents have been told to brace for extended electricity cuts, potential mobile network failures, major transport disruption, and significant coastal flooding.
Met Office Forecast: Snow, Wind, and Widespread Impact
Met Office Chief Forecaster Neil Armstrong stated that Storm Goretti's most severe impacts would come from snowfall in parts of Wales and the Midlands. "Here accumulations of 5-10 cm are likely widely, with 15-25 cm in some places, especially hills, and perhaps up to 30 cm very locally," he explained. However, he emphasised that strong winds and heavy rain would also cause widespread disruption across many regions.
Exposed coastal areas could experience wind gusts approaching 90mph, with widespread inland gusts reaching 60mph. The combination of snow, ice, and gale-force winds creates a perfect storm for bringing down power lines and trees.
How to Prepare and Full List of Affected Areas
The Met Office is urging the public to take immediate precautions. They advise securing loose outdoor items like bins, garden furniture, and fencing. Households should also prepare emergency kits containing torches, spare batteries, portable mobile phone chargers, and other essentials to cope with potential prolonged blackouts.
The following is the full list of 73 areas across the UK identified as being at risk of power cuts due to Storm Goretti:
East Midlands: Derby, Derbyshire, Leicester, Leicestershire, Lincolnshire, Northamptonshire, Nottingham, Nottinghamshire, Rutland.
East of England: Bedford, Cambridgeshire, Central Bedfordshire, Hertfordshire, Luton, Peterborough.
London & South East England: Buckinghamshire, Hampshire, Isle of Wight, Milton Keynes, Oxfordshire, Portsmouth, West Berkshire.
North East England: Durham, Northumberland.
North West England: Cheshire East, Cumbria, Greater Manchester, Lancashire.
South West England: Bath and North East Somerset, Bournemouth Christchurch and Poole, Bristol, Cornwall, Devon, Dorset, Gloucestershire, Isles of Scilly, North Somerset, Plymouth, Somerset, South Gloucestershire, Swindon, Torbay, Wiltshire.
Wales: 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.
West Midlands: Herefordshire, Shropshire, Staffordshire, Stoke-on-Trent, Telford and Wrekin, Warwickshire, West Midlands Conurbation, Worcestershire.
Yorkshire & Humber: North Yorkshire, South Yorkshire, West Yorkshire.
Engineers from National Grid and local power distributors are working to restore supplies, but conditions remain dangerous for repair crews. Officials warn that restoration efforts may be slow in the hardest-hit regions until the worst of the storm passes.
