Image Courtesy: My Daily UK BlogTravel management companies and frontline advisors had braced for a weekend of rebooking activity as Storm Goretti continues to destabilise European transport infrastructure. The "multi-hazard" event has already forced a wave of flight cancellations and rail suspensions.
Travel across large parts of Europe was severely disrupted on Friday as Storm Goretti brought gale-force winds, heavy snowfall and widespread power outages, grounding flights and halting rail services.
Thousands of homes were left without electricity, while airports and rail networks across northern Europe struggled to operate amid dangerous conditions.
Flights cancelled
In the Netherlands, flights were cancelled as heavy snowfall returned following a brief lull. In France, winds exceeding 150 kph (93 mph) were recorded overnight in the north-western Manche region, with a record gust of 213 kph in Barfleur. The extreme weather forced state rail operator SNCF to suspend services between Paris and Normandy.
France’s state energy company EDF said two reactors at the Flamanville nuclear power station were taken offline after a high-voltage line was disrupted. Across Western Europe, wholesale power prices rose as infrastructure was affected by the storm. Elsewhere in France, roofs were torn from buildings and trees uprooted.
Train Services disrupted
In the UK, rail services were suspended in parts of the West Midlands as thick snow blanketed the region. Intense snowfall hit the West Midlands, Shropshire and Staffordshire overnight, while strong winds battered the West Country and Wales. Network Rail said teams were working around the clock, using chainsaws and snowploughs to clear fallen trees and deep drifts from tracks.
The Met Office issued amber weather warnings, cautioning that Storm Goretti would be a “multi-hazard event.” Chief Forecaster Neil Armstrong said the most significant impacts would come from heavy snow in Wales and the Midlands, very strong winds in the far southwest, and heavy rain in parts of Wales and East Anglia.
“Accumulations of 10–15 cm of snow are likely widely, with 20–30 cm possible in some areas, especially over higher ground in Wales and the Peak District,” Armstrong said, urging people to stay informed and follow advice from local authorities.
Refunds and re-routing
The travel industry has warned passengers to prepare for continued disruption. Julia Lo Bue-Said OBE, Chief Executive of the Advantage Travel Partnership, said severe weather had already caused flight cancellations and rail suspensions, with further disruption expected through the weekend.
She advised travellers to monitor updates from airlines and transport operators, allow extra time for journeys, and ensure travel insurance and essential documents are easily accessible. Passengers whose flights are cancelled are entitled to a refund or re-routing under consumer protection rules, she added, and airlines must provide appropriate care even when disruption is caused by severe weather.
With conditions expected to remain volatile, authorities across Europe continue to urge caution as Storm Goretti moves through the region.
