A number of Midlands schools announce closure due to Amber weather warning
The alert comes in from 8pm on Thursday
Storm Goretti has arrived in the UK bringing gusts of up to 100mph as a rare red warning for "dangerous, stormy" winds was issued.
The Met Office said "violent gusts" will hit parts of Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly over the next few hours bringing a potential danger to life.
Winds of 67mph have already been recorded in Predannack, Cornwall, while peak gales of 80 to 100mph or more in exposed areas are expected, the forecaster said.
The warning, in place from 4pm to 11pm, says people should expect damage to buildings and homes, very large waves, flying debris resulting in danger to life, power cuts and public transport cancellations.
A red warning means dangerous weather is expected and action should be taken to keep safe from the impact of it, the Met Office said.
The forecaster's description of a red warning on its website reads: "It is very likely that there will be a risk to life, with substantial disruption to travel, energy supplies and possibly widespread damage to property and infrastructure.
"You should avoid travelling, where possible, and follow the advice of the emergency services and local authorities."
The Cabinet Office said it was issuing two emergency alerts to the phones of those in affected areas, with around half a million people expected to receive one.
The first was sent at about 3pm on Thursday to people in the Isles of Scilly, and the second will be sent at approximately 5pm on Thursday to people in Cornwall, the Cabinet Office said.
A Cabinet Office spokesman said: "The Emergency Alert system will send a message to every compatible mobile phone in the impacted areas, containing information about the red warning and guidance on how to stay safe.
"Compatible mobile phones will make a loud siren-like sound even if they are set on silent. The sound and vibration will last for about 10 seconds."
Dozens of schools in Cornwall closed early on Thursday afternoon as the storm approached.
Network Rail said all trains in Cornwall will be suspended from 6pm on Thursday.
In Devon, trains on the Exeter-Okehampton and Exeter-Barnstaple routes will be suspended from the same time because of forecast high-wind speeds.
Passengers are advised to travel earlier and not to attempt travel late this afternoon.
Services on affected routes are expected to be disrupted on Friday morning.
Replacement road transport will not be available as road conditions are also expected to be affected by the weather.
RAC breakdown spokeswoman Alice Simpson said: "A red weather warning is every bit as serious as it sounds: avoid the roads - unless absolutely essential - until the storm winds have passed.
"With the worst conditions expected in Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly, we strongly urge motorists in these areas to stay safe by parking well away from trees that could be uprooted by the strongest winds the area has seen in years.
"Exposed routes and coastlines pose the greatest danger as motorists are completely exposed to the elements and risk being 'buffeted' across the road by sudden gusts."
The storm, named by French weather forecaster Meteo France, has been described as a "multi-hazard event" by the Met Office, with as much of 30cm of snow possible in parts of the UK.
Weather warnings have been issued for snow, wind, rain and ice across the country, ahead of likely "disruption and dangerous travelling conditions".
Met Office chief forecaster Neil Armstrong said: "Storm Goretti will be a multi-hazard event, with the most significant impacts from snow in parts of Wales and the Midlands and the very strong winds in the far South West, though heavy rain in some parts of Wales and East Anglia also has the potential to bring disruption to many.
"Goretti will bring snow on its northern edge, this most likely over Wales and the Midlands. Here accumulations of 10-15cm are likely, widely, with 20-30cm possible in some places, especially higher ground in Wales and the Peak District.
"An amber warning has been issued where the greatest risk of disruption is likely on Thursday night into Friday morning.
"This is a complex spell of severe weather and I'd advise people in the warning areas to keep up to date with the forecast and messages from local authorities."
The BBC reports that the storm will bring a "weather bomb" to the UK.
Also known as explosive cyclogenesis, a weather bomb is caused when the central pressure in an area of low pressure falls rapidly.
The pressure has to fall by 24 millibars in 24 hours to qualify.
According to the BBC, Storm Goretti will see a pressure drop of 36 millibars in the 24 hours from 6pm on Wednesday to 6pm on Thursday.
The Met Office said that winds during a weather bomb can be "strong enough to bring down trees and cause structural damage".
A yellow warning for wind has also been issued for the rest of the south coast and Wales, where gusts of up to 70mph are forecast.
The weather service said the "exceptional" wind speeds could be stronger than recent storms such as Ciaran in 2023 and Eunice in 2022.
Meanwhile, an amber warning for snow runs from 8pm until 9am on Friday covering parts of Wales, the Midlands and Yorkshire.
The Met Office said rain associated with the storm in these areas will turn to "heavy snow", which may lead to some rural communities being cut off.
About 10 to 15cm of snow is likely across the warning area, with up to 30cm on higher ground in Wales and the Peak District.
The last red weather warning in the UK was in association with Storm Eowyn in January 2025, which was a red wind warning and covered parts of central and southern Scotland, according to the Met Office.
The Met Office's website says amber weather warnings are issued when there is an increased likelihood of impacts from severe weather, including the possibility of travel delays, road and rail closures, power cuts and the potential risk to life and property.
Yellow warnings are issued for a range of weather situations, including when it is likely that the weather will cause some low level impacts, including some disruption to travel in a few places, or when the weather could bring much more severe impacts to the majority of people but the certainty of those impacts occurring is much lower, according to the Met Office.