What is a red weather warning? Met Office issues rare alert as Storm Goretti hits

A rare red warning for “dangerous, stormy” winds has been issued by the Met Office for south-west England, with Storm Goretti set to bring 100mph gusts.

The warning, from 4pm until 11pm on Thursday, says “violent gusts” over two to three hours will hit parts of Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly.

Peak winds of 80-100mph or more in exposed areas are also expected, the forecaster said.

The warning says people should expect damage to buildings and homes, very large waves, flying debris resulting in danger to life, power cuts and public transport cancellations.

Red weather warnings are reserved for “very dangerous weather with a high level of certainty”, according to the Met Office.

“You should take direct action to keep yourself and others safe from impacts of the weather.

“It is very likely that there will be a risk to life, with substantial disruption to travel, energy supplies and possibly widespread damage to property and infrastructure.

“You should avoid travelling, where possible, and follow the advice of the emergency services and local authorities.”

The storm, named by French weather forecaster Meteo France, has been described as a “multi-hazard event” by the Met Office, with as much as 30cm of snow possible for parts of the UK.

Weather warnings have been issued for snow, wind, rain and ice across the country ahead of likely “disruption and dangerous travelling conditions”.

A separate yellow warning for wind has also been issued for the entire south coast, where gusts of up to 60mph are forecast.

Meanwhile, an amber warning for snow runs from 8pm until 9am on Friday, covering parts of Wales, the Midlands and South Yorkshire.

The Met Office said rain associated with the storm in these areas will turn to “heavy snow”, which may lead to some rural communities being cut off.

Around 10-15cm of snow is likely across the warning area, with up to 30cm on higher ground in Wales and the Peak District.

A yellow warning for snow is also in place from 5pm until noon on Friday for a wider part of England, from Northumberland to Wiltshire, as well as a snow and ice warning in Scotland from 10pm until noon.