Birmingham Airport has been compelled to halt all operations due to snowfall. The suspension of both departures and arrivals comes in the wake of wintry showers brought on by Storm Goretti, which swept across the UK on Thursday night, causing significant snowfall particularly in the Midlands and parts of Wales.
The airport issued a statement: “Due to heavy snow, runway operations are currently suspended. We will continue to keep our website updated with changes as they happen. Passengers due to travel from Birmingham Airport are advised to contact their airline for the latest updates on their flight.”
Flights destined for Paris, Bergamo, Geneva, Delhi and other locations have either been cancelled or delayed. Similarly, services from cities including Edinburgh, Belfast, Paris, and Amsterdam have been cancelled due to the closure. Schools across the UK, including those in the Midlands, Wales and Southwest England, will remain closed on Friday. However, other airports such as East Midlands and Bristol are currently unaffected by the storm.
Earlier today, Met Office chief forecaster Neil Armstrong warned: “A Red severe weather warning for wind has been issued for the Isles of Scilly and much of Cornwall. Storm Goretti will bring exceptionally strong gusts in the Red warning area which could reach 100mph or more. Winds are expected to increase rapidly with violent gusts that may persist for 2-3 hours before easing.”
“Heavy snow will affect Wales, the Midlands and parts of northern England overnight and through Friday morning. This multi-hazard event will bring significant disruption to many.”
He added: “Goretti will bring snow on its northern edge, this most likely over Wales and the Midlands. Here accumulations of 10-15 cm are likely widely, with 20-30 cm possible in some places, especially higher ground in Wales and the Peak District.
“An Amber warning has been issued where the greatest risk of disruption is likely on Thursday night into Friday morning. 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.”
Further north, the cold snap continues with an ongoing risk of snow and ice.
Scotland, Northern Ireland and the far north of England can expect more settled conditions on Thursday and Friday, with coastal wintry showers but brighter and drier conditions inland.
Temperatures plummeted to -14.7°C at Tomintoul, Banffshire, last night. Once again, temperatures will drop overnight, falling below freezing across the board and potentially reaching lows of -12°C or lower in areas with lying snow. Additional warnings are expected due to the persistent wintry conditions.
This story originally appeared on Express.co.uk
