Commuters in London and across the UK were met with a travel nightmare on Friday, January 9, 2026, as Storm Goretti unleashed a barrage of snow, ice, and wind, crippling much of the nation’s transport infrastructure. The morning rush hour, usually a well-oiled machine for millions, instead became a test of patience and resilience as the London Underground, national railways, and even airports buckled under the strain of the severe weather and technical failures.
According to reporting from The Evening Standard and MyLondon, the chaos began early in the day with a series of points and signal failures across key Underground lines. The Victoria line, a vital artery for north-south travel in the capital, was fully suspended due to a points failure at Finsbury Park. Although service was later restored, severe delays persisted throughout the morning, causing headaches for those relying on the line to get to work or school. The Piccadilly line was hit even harder, with no trains running between King’s Cross St. Pancras and Cockfosters after a signal failure at Finsbury Park. Even as trains began moving again, severe delays lingered between King’s Cross and Acton Town, with minor delays on the rest of the route.
The Jubilee line, meanwhile, ground to a halt between Finchley Road and Waterloo following a signal failure at Bond Street at 8 a.m. The rest of the line suffered major delays, leaving many commuters stranded or forced to seek alternative routes. The Metropolitan line, too, was partially suspended between Aldgate and Wembley Park due to a faulty train at Finchley Road. While full service eventually resumed, severe delays continued to plague the line for much of the morning. Even the usually reliable Waterloo & City line was not spared, experiencing minor delays due to train cancellations.
Transport for London (TfL) classified the delays on the Jubilee, Piccadilly, and Metropolitan lines as ‘severe’, underscoring the scale of the disruption. The Victoria line’s problems eventually cleared up, but not before causing significant inconvenience. For those hoping to replan their journeys, TfL’s journey planner tool became an essential resource, helping Londoners navigate the patchwork of service suspensions and delays.
Adding to the misery, Storm Goretti’s impact was not limited to London. As reported by The Evening Standard, the Midlands saw its heaviest snowfall in a decade, with wintry conditions extending to the fringes of London. The Met Office issued yellow weather warnings for snow and ice, cautioning that icy conditions would persist overnight, increasing the risk of slips and falls on untreated roads and cycle paths. Meteorologist Alex Deakin from the Met Office described the day as “wet, cold, miserable,” with a mixture of rain, sleet, and snow battering parts of eastern England. He noted, “Storm Goretti continues to cause problems through Friday morning, particularly across parts of eastern England, where we are seeing a mixture of rain, sleet, and still some snow falling.”
The disruption extended far beyond the capital’s Underground. National Rail issued a stark warning to passengers, urging them to check their journeys before traveling as most major UK rail services and even the Eurostar were affected. Chiltern Railways operated a skeleton service, with just one train per hour in each direction between London Marylebone and Oxford, High Wycombe, and Aylesbury. London Northwestern Railway advised passengers not to travel until the afternoon and ran a reduced timetable between Birmingham New Street and London Euston. The domino effect of delays and cancellations rippled across the country, making travel plans uncertain for thousands.
Air travel was no escape from the chaos. At least 69 flights to and from Heathrow Airport were cancelled, disrupting the travel plans of more than 9,000 passengers. East Midlands Airport was forced to close its runway early in the morning due to heavy snowfall, while Birmingham Airport suspended operations overnight. The majority of Heathrow’s cancellations affected short-haul flights operated by British Airways, the airport’s largest carrier.
The storm’s effects weren’t limited to transport. Over 100 flood alerts and 13 flood warnings were issued as melting snow and rain heightened flood risks across the UK. The Environment Agency issued eight specific flood alerts for London and surrounding areas, warning that river levels remained high and further rainfall could inundate low-lying land, roads, and footpaths. David Morgan, Flood Duty Manager for the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA), explained, “As temperatures rise following recent cold conditions, thaw of lying snow from Sunday onwards will increase the risk of flooding.”
In the southeast, the cold snap led to more than 6,500 customers in Tunbridge Wells losing water earlier in the week due to burst mains, with further outages expected as Storm Goretti hampered recovery efforts. South East Water’s incident manager, Mike Court, apologized, stating, “Customers will experience no water and intermittent supplies later this afternoon while demand for water outstrips the amount we can pump into the network.” He added, “Due to the storm last night, we have experienced outages at a number of water treatment works sites and river water quality issues across Kent and Sussex.”
Even the sky seemed to reflect the surreal mood of the day. Residents of Birmingham reported a mysterious neon pink glow overhead during the heavy snowfall, prompting comparisons to the TV show ‘Stranger Things’ and the movie ‘Barbie.’ The phenomenon, as explained by local authorities, was caused by floodlights at Birmingham City FC reflecting off low clouds and falling snow—a strange but harmless side effect of the stormy weather.
With roads in London largely clear, according to The Evening Standard, the Underground and national railways bore the brunt of the disruption. Meanwhile, Stockwell station on the Victoria line was briefly closed due to a fire alert but reopened later in the day, adding another wrinkle to an already difficult commute.
In the face of these challenges, the Trade Union Congress (TUC) reminded employers to show understanding for workers unable to make it into work. TUC general secretary Paul Nowak urged, “No one should be pressured into making dangerous journeys. And workers shouldn’t be punished with lost pay or forced to take holiday because the weather makes travel impossible.” He emphasized the need for “basic common sense and understanding,” particularly as parents faced additional difficulties with school closures and childcare.
As the day wore on, the storm gradually began to clear, but the disruption it left behind was a stark reminder of how quickly the UK’s transport systems can be brought to a standstill by a combination of severe weather and technical failures. For thousands of commuters, travelers, and families, January 9, 2026, will be remembered as a day when getting from A to B became an unexpected adventure—one that tested patience, resourcefulness, and, above all, the British sense of humor.
