Storm Goretti live updates: 65k homes are without power as gales hit

Thanks for following our live coverage of Storm Goretti as we pause our updates here.

The storm has left tens of thousands of homes without power, caused widespread travel disruption and resulted in school closures.

And the Met Office has warned more snow could return on Sunday after new warnings were issued earlier today.

Although this live page is now closing, you can still catch all of our Storm Goretti news and content on the Daily Mail website.

Here’s our current top story:

Britons were warned to expect a further foot of snow this weekend after tens of thousands of homes were left without power following 100mph Storm Goretti.

Severe conditions caused school closures and travel disruption today with flights grounded at airports, roads blocked and large swathes of the rail network shut.

Now, the Met Office has issued fresh yellow warnings for snow and ice for tomorrow and Sunday as partially thawed snow refreezes then blizzards arrive. A combination of melting snow and rain will also increase the risk of flooding over the coming days.

One new snow and ice warning covering most of Scotland and northern England runs from midday today until 3pm tomorrow with up to 15cm (6ft) set to accumulate.

A second yellow warning for ice will cover large parts of western England and Wales from midday today until midday tomorrow; while a third across Northern Ireland for snow and ice will come into force from 5pm tonight and run until 11am tomorrow.

A separate snow and ice warning on Sunday will be active for much of Scotland and the North of England from 2am until 3pm with another 30cm (1ft) expected to fall.

Storm Goretti has battered Britain with snow, winds and rain after sweeping across the country last night.

The devastating storm has caused power cuts, widespread travel disruption and school closures.

If you’re just joining us, here are the main developments overnight:

• 64,000 properties across England and Wales are without power this morning
• The storm brought 99mph winds and up to 1ft (30cm) of snow is expected
• Birmingham and East Midlands airports temporarily suspended operations
• Rail operators issued ‘do not travel’ warnings with all trains in Cornwall axed
• Hundreds of schools are closed while roads are also shut due to fallen trees
• A rare Met Office red ‘stay at home’ warning was issued for the South West

This is the moment a newborn baby arrived at his home in a car towed through the snow by a tractor just 24 hours after he was born.

Mum Gracie Ballantine, 31, was snowed in after a blizzard hit the north of Scotland – all while she was ready to give birth any day.

After a false alarm which led her and partner Jake to travel to Aberdeen for two days, she returned home – where her waters broke almost immediately.

They rushed to nearby Peterhead Maternity Unit, where baby Frank was born.

The couple were desperate to get home from hospital before roads worsened again, but became stuck nearly half a mile from their home.

Thankfully, a kind neighbour was able to rescue them – towing the family car back home behind his tractor.

Gracie said:

We never would have made it up that road – the roads were so bad. We would have had to walk about a quarter of a mile, so it was such a relief.

Watch the video below:

A fallen tree in Falmouth, Cornwall

Residents in Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly have told the BBC how winds brought by Storm Goretti left them fearful inside their own homes.

The Met Office urged people to stay inside their homes yesterday from 4pm to 11pm as winds of up to 99mph buffeted the South West tip of England.

Melissa Thomson, who co-owns the Garrison Holidays campsite on the Isles of Scilly, told BBC News:

It was horrendous. We couldn’t even go in our bedroom. If you put your hand on a window you could feel it. Plaster was cracking and the creaking from the roof was horrific. It felt like the roof was going to fly off.

Harry Williams, who lives in Sennen Cove, added:

There was an hour where I was apprehensive, and I’m a surfer so I’m used to putting myself in danger. I had to hold on to this window, and couldn’t hold it shut.

An NHS trust has offered some unusual advice to those walking in Britain’s snow-hit and icy places following Storm Goretti…walk like a penguin.

Offiicials at NHS Greater Glasgow & Clyde say the penguin method of walking helps people to keep their balance on slippy surfaces.

In a video released online, staff say the method involves bending your feet, keeping your knees loose and pointing your feet out slightly before raising your arms at your sides and walking in short steps with flat feet.

Laura Halcrow, Falls Prevention Lead at the trust, said: ‘It might look funny, but waddling really works’.

Watch the video here:

RNLI volunteers battled horrendous conditions to rescue people from boats as Storm Goretti hit Cornwall.

Falmouth RNLI responded to seven separate incidents on Thursday night in hurricane-strength winds described as the worst ever seen by volunteers.

The crew was called out at about 7.10pm as a number of vessels were breaking free from their moorings with people aboard.

RNLI volunteers worked for three hours in strong winds and heavy rain to assist people in difficulty.

Nick Head, coxswain, said:

The conditions were very tricky with 90mph winds, torrential rain and hail, and it was certainly the worst weather conditions I’ve been out in as coxswain.

The lifeboat pontoon suffered some damage, as did many other structures around the harbour. However, the lifeboat remains in service and operational.

Downing Street said support was being offered to homes left without power by the storm.

A No 10 spokesman said:

We have well-rehearsed plans in place for winter weather. We are currently working with teams from local authorities, the emergency services and other public bodies to respond to the disruption.

He added around 0.21% of customers remain without power after supplies were restored to 150,000 homes and businesses.

The National Grid is also working to open community centres and warm spaces in areas worst impacted by the storm, as well as offering food and accommodation for those in need today and across the weekend.

Bad weather has been blamed for more water outages in Kent.

Earlier this week, South East Water (SEW) said a series of burst water mains due to the cold were responsible for 6,500 customers in Tunbridge Wells being left without water again.

While those supplies returned on Thursday, more outages are expected on Friday afternoon.

The company said Storm Goretti has slowed the recovery of water storage tanks since the pipes burst, which will mean demand outstrips supply.

Last month, 24,000 properties in Tunbridge Wells spent days without any running water, and almost two weeks without drinkable water.

In Cornwall, it has emerged a rugby stadium and a cathedral have been damaged by destructive winds during Storm Goretti.

The roof on the main grandstand at Mennaye Field, the home of the Cornish Pirates rugby club, had large chunks torn off in what the club described as ‘significant damage’.

The club, who play in the Champ Rugby, the second level of the English rugby union pyramid, say their next home match will go ahead as planned.

Meanwhile, the roof of Truro Cathedral was also damaged last night with the loss of lead meaning rain entered the building.

Storm Goretti has now cleared towards eastern England where a yellow rain warning remains in place until the evening.

But although the storm’s influence is fast waning, forecasters say there will likely be further disruption across the country as a result of snow and ice over the weekend.

In its most recent update, the Met Office said further ice and wintry showers, with some snow on high ground, are likely to affect many northern areas and Wales.

Saturday promises to be a calm day with sunny spells but on Sunday another front arrives bringing the risk of further snow.

Met Office Chief Forecaster Steve Willington said:

Following on from a Saturday which will be largely dry away from northeastern parts of Scotland and England, a front from the west on Sunday will bring snow for parts of Scotland and northern England with low temperatures continuing the ice risk.

A further 2-5cm of snow is possible to accumulate at low levels within the warning area on Sunday, with 10-20cm possible over higher ground. With much of this falling in areas that have already seen severe snowfall, ongoing disruption is likely. Those in central and southern England and Wales will see this fall as rain, in what will be a wet Sunday for many.

Panic buyers were out in force across the nation’s supermarkets yesterday before Storm Goretti swept across Britain.

Jennifer Marsh, a mother of one from Dudley, West Midlands, could not believe her eyes after her trip to Asda exposed fear mongers in her community.

The 30-year-old popped into the supermarket to see half of the shelves in the shop completely cleared out.

According to the mum-of-two, her mother-in-law who works at the shop claimed everything was fine until the storm warning.

Shelves usually stacked with fresh vegetables, bread and meat were completely emptied with the nation preparing for the worst.

See her video below: