Storm Goretti has swept across the United Kingdom, leaving a trail of snow, disruption, and travel chaos in its wake. On January 9, 2026, the East Midlands and surrounding regions woke up to deep drifts, shuttered schools, stranded vehicles, and closed airports. The storm’s intensity, described by the Met Office as a "multi-hazard event," forced authorities and institutions to scramble in response to rapidly changing conditions.
For many, the first sign of trouble came with news of widespread school closures. According to reports from Leicestershire Live and Harborough FM, more than 20 schools across Leicestershire shut their doors on January 9. The closures, attributed to heavy snow and plummeting temperatures, affected a broad swath of educational institutions: Al-Aqsa School in Leicester, All Saints Primary School in Coalville, Ashby Hill Top Primary School, Avanti Fields School, Babington Academy, and many more. In fact, the list of closures stretched from Leicester Grammar School to Martinshaw Primary School in Groby, and even included all campuses of North Warwickshire and South Leicestershire College.
Some schools, determined to maintain a sense of normalcy, opted for delayed openings rather than full closures. Robert Smyth Academy and Ridgeway Primary Academy in Market Harborough both announced they would open at 10:30 AM, while Market Harborough C of E Academy planned a 10:00 AM start. Launde Primary School in Oadby communicated to parents that, after a risk assessment, they would open with gates at 9:30 AM and registers open until 10:00 AM. WQE College in Leicester city centre, meanwhile, cancelled its first block but proceeded with a delayed start. Leicester College, bucking the trend, remained open but urged students to notify lecturers if travel proved too hazardous.
The closures were not limited to schools. The region’s transport infrastructure took a severe hit. The A42 southbound, a major artery between the West Midlands and Leicestershire, ground to a halt between Junction 14 Tonge and Junction 13 Ashby-De-La-Zouch. As reported by Leicestershire Live, heavy snowfall left vehicles stranded overnight, with some motorists stuck for up to four hours. National Highways confirmed that traffic officers and gritting lorries were dispatched to assist, but delays of up to 60 minutes persisted even as the morning wore on. Social media brimmed with frustration, with drivers sharing their ordeal: "Been sitting here for four hours so far," one motorist posted, while another lamented being at a complete stop for two hours.
Storm Goretti’s reach extended well beyond the roads. Rail services across England, Wales, and Scotland faced delays and suspensions. National Rail warned that disruption could last until the end of the day on Friday, January 9. In Cornwall, all trains were suspended from 6 PM on January 8, with routes in Devon also affected due to high winds. These disruptions left many passengers scrambling for alternatives—and wondering when normal service might resume.
Air travel was no less affected. East Midlands Airport, located just inside Leicestershire, was forced to close its sole runway on the morning of January 9 due to heavy snow. "Our runway is temporarily closed due to heavy snow, as our teams work hard to clear it as quickly as possible. The safety of our passengers is top priority and we appreciate your patience during this time. Flights will resume as soon as it is safe to do so but some delays are expected," read a statement from the airport, as reported by BBC and Leicester Mercury. Passengers flying with Jet2.com, Ryanair, and TUI Airways—especially those bound for Alicante and Prague—were advised to check with their airlines for the latest updates and to take extra care on treacherous roads and footpaths.
East Midlands Airport’s closure followed closely on the heels of Birmingham Airport suspending operations from 9 PM on January 8, after snowfall rendered its landing strip unusable. The knock-on effect was immediate: flights were delayed or cancelled, and passengers were left facing uncertainty. The storm’s impact on air travel was compounded by the Met Office’s warnings of further snow, wind, rain, and ice across the country, with the potential for additional "disruption and dangerous travelling conditions."
Storm Goretti’s ferocity was underscored by the rare red warning issued by the Met Office for dangerous winds in the South West. Winds reached 99 mph at St Mary’s Airport on the Isles of Scilly—a new record for the site. The Met Office’s chief forecaster, Neil Armstrong, cautioned, "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." He predicted snow accumulations of 10-15 cm widely over Wales and the Midlands, with 20-30 cm possible in some areas, especially higher ground in Wales and the Peak District. In the worst-hit regions, up to 30 cm of snow could blanket the landscape.
The storm’s effects were not confined to transportation and education. Power outages struck more than 50,000 properties in the South West, with another 9,000 in the West Midlands and 2,000 in Wales left in the dark on the evening of January 8, according to the National Grid. Communities accustomed to mild winters found themselves grappling with the realities of a full-blown snowstorm: blocked roads, shuttered services, and a sense of uncertainty about what might come next.
Despite the chaos, some events pressed on. Nottingham Forest confirmed that their FA Cup third round match against Wrexham would proceed as planned at the Racecourse Ground in Wales, kicking off at 7:30 PM GMT on January 9. A spokesperson for the Premier League side advised, "Supporters are advised to allow extra travel time and stay aware of Met Office weather warnings." For football fans, it was a small but welcome dose of normalcy amid the storm’s upheaval.
As the day progressed, local authorities and national agencies continued to issue updates, urging the public to heed warnings and avoid unnecessary travel. The amber severe weather warning for snowfall in the East Midlands, in effect from 6 PM on January 8 until 9 AM on January 9, was a stark reminder of the storm’s unpredictable nature. The Met Office summed it up best: "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."
With snow still falling in some areas and cleanup efforts underway, the full impact of Storm Goretti is yet to be tallied. But for many across the East Midlands and beyond, January 9, 2026, will be remembered as a day when winter truly took hold, disrupting routines, testing resilience, and reminding everyone that, even in a modern, well-connected country, the weather can still call the shots.
