Storm Goretti: Disruption across the West Midlands
Birmingham Airport suspended runway operations earlier due to snow
Last updated 9th Jan 2026
Storm Goretti continues to batter the UK with tens of thousands of Britons across the country facing widespread power cuts, travel disruption and school closures.
Birmingham Airport suspended runway operations earlier due to heavy snow.
In a statement posted on Twitter at 5.20am on Friday (9 January), it said it was completing safety checks after operations were suspended overnight because of heavy snow on the runway.
However, bosses have since issued an update saying the runway has reopened but on a reduced basis.
Hundreds of homes across the West Midlands are without power, according to the National Grid's website at 5am on Friday.
Dozens of schools across the Midlands have announced they will be closed on Friday.
Rail services across England, Wales and Scotland may be affected until the end of the day on Friday due to the weather, National Rail said.
West Midlands Railway warned customers of substantial delays.
Avanti West Coast also put "do not travel" advice in place on its Midlands routes until 1pm on Friday.
The train operator, which runs services on the West Coast Main Line, said: "An amended timetable will operate across all routes from 0700 until 1500, when we currently expect services to return to normal.
"We strongly recommend travelling outside these times if possible."
Services on the West Midlands Metro tram network were unable to operate in Birmingham on Friday morning due to a fallen tree.
Storm Goretti, named by French weather forecaster Meteo France, has been described as a "multi-hazard event" by the Met Office, with as much as 30cm of snow possible in parts of the UK.
Weather warnings were issued for snow, wind, rain and ice across the country, ahead of likely "disruption and dangerous travelling conditions".
West Midlands Ambulance Service is urging people to only make essential journeys to help ease pressure on crews, who have been working through the night.
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."
A yellow warning for wind has been issued for the rest of the south coast and Wales, where gusts of up to 70mph are forecast, while a yellow warning for snow covers swathes of England from Bath to Northumberland.
Meanwhile, an amber warning for snow runs until 9am on Friday covering parts of Wales, the Midlands and Yorkshire.
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.
A yellow warning for snow and ice is also in force across much of Scotland, where more than 250 schools are due to remain closed on Friday, including more than 150 in Aberdeenshire, dozens in the Highlands and Aberdeen, plus a number in Moray.
A red weather warning, which was in place until 11pm on Thursday, warned of damage to buildings and homes, very large waves, flying debris resulting in danger to life, power cuts and public transport cancellations.
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.