Birmingham residents are assessing the damage after waking to the aftermath of Storm Goretti, which brought destructive winds and hours of snowfall to the city. The BBC's weather presenter Simon King indicated that the worst of the disruptive conditions may now be passing.
The Turning Point: When Conditions Improve
The critical hour for recovery has been pinpointed as 9am on Friday morning. This is when the Met Office's amber weather warning is set to be lifted. Motoring organisation the AA has also confirmed that road conditions are expected to start improving significantly from this time, offering relief to commuters and emergency services.
Friday's Forecast and Ongoing Disruption
Simon King warned that the storm's impact would still be felt through the morning. "Some schools will be closed and there’ll be disruption on the road and rail network," he stated. However, he offered a more positive outlook for the rest of the day, describing Friday's forecast as "a mostly improving picture."
For Birmingham and the wider West Midlands, the wintry mix of rain, sleet and snow is predicted to clear for most areas, leaving just a few scattered wintry showers by the afternoon. In contrast, Lincolnshire and southeast England will contend with rain and breezy conditions for much of the day.
Looking Ahead to the Weekend
The respite may be short-lived. The Met Office has warned that further unsettled weather will move in from the west by Sunday. As milder Atlantic air attempts to push out the cold air blanketing the UK, it brings a new risk of widespread snowfall and strong winds to northern regions, with rain likely further south.
Forecasters have added a note of caution, stating there is "still some uncertainty in the detail for the second part of the weekend" and emphasising the importance of staying up to date with the latest forecasts. In a longer-term outlook, the Met Office suggested that milder air will push across the UK next week, ending the current cold spell and bringing temperatures closer to the seasonal average, alongside wet and windy conditions from the west.
While Scotland and Northern Ireland escaped the direct impact of Storm Goretti, they faced a cold and frosty start with icy stretches on Friday, with a few wintry showers expected to move through Scotland later.
