An estimated 57,000 properties across the UK are without power after Storm Goretti brings 99mph (159km/h) winds and heavy snowfall.

The region experiencing the most outages (43,400) is the south-west of England, where a rare red "danger to life" wind warning was issued on Thursday

Due to severe weather:
Train services running across the whole Great Western Railway network will be revised. Disruption is expected until 12:00 09/01.
Customer Advice
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Storm Goretti hit the UK yesterday, bringing strong winds and heavy rain/snow. This brought disruption to the GWR network.
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For Friday 09 January:
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With the storm now passed, the railway will have to be inspected in daylight for any damage.
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> There will be no services between Plymouth and Penzance, in either direction, until 12:00 at the earliest.
> There will be no services between Exeter and Okehampton and between Exeter and Barnstaple, until 12:00 at the earliest.
> There will be no services between Par and Newquay, between Truro and Falmouth and between Plymouth and Gunnislake, until 15:00 at the earliest.
Do not attempt to travel on the routes listed above. Replacement road transport is not available.

Storm Goretti brings heavy snow in Birmingham and Black Country

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Snow turned heavy in Aldridge and other parts of the West Midlands on Thursday night

Heavy snow arrived in the West Midlands on Thursday evening thanks to Storm Goretti.

An amber Met Office warning is in place for much of the Midlands and most of Wales until Friday morning. Snow could reach up to 30cm in some areas, it said.

Weather conditions also caused disruption and hazardous driving conditions, with some videos showing cars and even buses sliding around in the snow in Kings Heath, in Birmingham

Rail services have also been affected, with West Midlands Railway and Network Rail asking commuters to check journeys before travelling.

They warned passengers rail services may be delayed as ice could make it difficult for trains to run safely.

"From 19:00 GMT on Thursday, some trains across the West Midlands will run on a reduced timetable and passengers should take extra care and plan their journeys in advance," Network Rail said.

Chiltern Railways advised those travelling that a "significantly reduced service" would be in place on Friday. A spokesperson added one Chiltern Railways service per hour would operate in each direction from Birmingham Moor Street and London Marylebone.

(BBC article continues)

My friend in Leominster just sent me a photo of his street under a canopy of snow. I think Leominster is still served by GWR isn't it?

Has anyone yet seen any snow today?

If your travelling to Cornwall from London today the latest you can depart is at 1303. Sleeper's cancelled and all other services will terminate at Plymouth.

Up to 30cm of snow in Wales and the West Midlands - Met Office
published at 17:18
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The Met Office has updated its weather warnings ahead of Storm Goretti

The Met Office has updated an amber weather warning covering parts of the West Midlands and Wales as heavy snow is likely to lead to dangerous travelling conditions.

The warning now includes Wrexham, Stafford and parts of Flintshire.

A yellow snow warning has also been extended north to cover parts of Cheshire.

There could be up to 30cm of snow in some locations, especially on hills above 200m in Wales and the Peak District.

There could be 10 to 15cm of snow in a fairly wide area, the Met Office adds.

The forecaster says snow will ease through the course of Friday morning, turning to rain or sleet at times at low levels.

But disruption is likely to continue into Friday after the snow stops falling.

Mark, I'm leaving it is as it is for now - all things weather-wise are moving a bit fast at the moment. Image not available to guests

... Mods please move this post if needed, this may be celtic fringe but Cornwall it ain't)

Followed GWR's advice and came home early; Bristol-Chippenham-Melksham not due to be (directly) affected but no point in risking it.

Just the Okehampton and Gunnislake branches, unless they’ve changed their minds

Service suspensions from 6pm today
Devon: Services between Exeter and Okehampton, and Exeter and Barnstaple, will stop after the final services return to Exeter before 6pm.

Dear Graham,

We’re warning our customers that Storm Goretti is expected to have an impact on rail services over the next few days, particularly in the South West.

The Met Office has issued multiple weather warnings for the storm, which is forecast to bring strong winds and snowfall. Storm Goretti is being described as a multi-hazard event due to its potential impact on travel, infrastructure and public safety. On the railway, high winds increase the risk of falling trees and debris, while snowfall and icy conditions can affect the safe operation of trains.

Service suspensions from 6pm today

Due to an amber weather warning for strong winds, the following services will be suspended from 6pm this evening:

Cornwall: All train services will be suspended from 6pm this evening until Friday morning, with all trains stopping after reaching their final destination before 6pm.
Devon: Services between Exeter and Okehampton, and Exeter and Barnstaple, will stop after the final services return to Exeter before 6pm.
Passengers planning to travel on these routes are strongly advised to travel earlier in the day and not to attempt travel late this afternoon or into the evening. Replacement road transport will not be available, as road conditions are also expected to be hazardous.

Ongoing disruption and advice

Services on the affected routes are expected to remain disrupted on Friday morning, with short-notice cancellations possible.
While we will continue to operate as many trains as possible on all other routes, the severe weather may lead to short-notice changes and cancellations.
All other routes are currently expected to operate as normal, but customers are advised to check before travelling this evening and on Friday morning.
Customers with tickets for the affected routes may use them to travel earlier today or on Friday.
Network Rail engineers will be on standby in key locations to clear fallen trees and debris as quickly as possible. Station teams are preparing by gritting platforms, ensuring trains are ready for icy conditions, and adapting service patterns as the situation develops. Customers are advised to take extra care at stations, as platforms, steps and car parks may be slippery.

We strongly encourage customers to check their journey before travelling and throughout the day, and to allow extra time where possible. The latest travel information is available at https://www.gwr.com/storm-goretti. You can also read our media release here.

Any help you can give to make your networks aware would be much appreciated, and as ever, if you have any questions please don’t hesitate to get in touch.

Best wishes,

Olivia and Heledd

This INCLUDES the Devon branches too, according to Journeycheck. Complete journeys before 1800

There will be no services operating on Cornish branch lines from late afternoon today. 

I would also expect some disruption tomorrow morning whilst route proving is undertaken.

Oxford - Hereford
Forecasted severe weather between Oxford and Hereford means from 15:00 there will be no train service between Great Malvern and Hereford, and from 18:00 services will be cancelled between Oxford and Hereford. These alterations will continue until the end of the day.

CrossCountry will reduce frequency on the following routes to hourly from 15:00:
Manchester Piccadilly - Birmingham New Street
Birmingham New Street - Reading
Birmingham New Street - Bristol Temple Meads

There is also a reduction in service on the Nottingham - Birmingham New Street / Cardiff Central route from 15:00.

The following trains have been cancelled. Please be aware that across the network, trains that do run may be delayed, cancelled or altered at late notice due to the severe weather.
19:20 Weymouth to London Waterloo
21:35 London Waterloo to Weymouth
22:18 Brockenhurst to Lymington Pier
22:35 London Waterloo to Poole
22:36 Lymington Pier to Brockenhurst
23:32 London Waterloo to Portsmouth Harbour
23:36 London Waterloo to Bournemouth

The following routes will be suspended today:
Between Maesteg and Ebbw Vale Town:

Starting from approximately 15:00 the following routes will be suspended:
Between Liverpool Lime Street and Chester:

The following routes are also affected but we don't have any additional information as of yet:
Between Bidston and Wrexham (Borderlands line)
Between Llandudno / Llandudno Junction and Blaenau Ffestiniog (Conwy Valley line)
Between Shrewsbury and Swansea via Llandrindod (Heart of Wales line)
Between Carmarthen and Whitland / Pembroke Dock / Milford Haven / Fishguard Harbour
Between Treherbert and Cardiff Central

Starting from approximately 15:00 the following routes will have a reduced service:
Between Merthyr Tydfil / Treherbert / Rhymney and Cardiff Central:
Between Coryton and Cardiff Bay:
Between Cardiff Central and Penarth / Barry Island / Bridgend
Between Cardiff Central and Carmarthen:

The following routes are also affected but we don't have any additional information as of yet:
Between Manchester and Chester
Between Holyhead and Shrewsbury
Between Crewe and Shrewsbury
Between Crewe and Cardiff Central
Between Birmingham International and Shrewsbury
Between Shrewsbury and Aberystwyth
Between Gloucester and Cardiff Central

Thanks for that update - noted.    I also note that at the time of writing, the Cornish main line service I still in place for normal service.

There will be no services operating on Cornish branch lines from late afternoon today. 

I would also expect some disruption tomorrow morning whilst route proving is undertaken.