Image source, Llanberis Mountain Rescue

Mountain rescue crews have warned of the risk of avalanches on Wales' tallest mountain Yr Wyddfa, also known as Snowdon.

Llanberis Mountain Rescue says several areas of unstable snow have been observed near the peak of the mountain, which is located in Eryri National Park.

It says overhanging snow features are difficult to spot, can collapse without warning and can potentially lead to serious falls or trigger avalanches.

"As you can see from the photo, many paths are now unrecognisable and buried... these are complex winter conditions where experience and sound judgement are key," warns rescuer Elfyn Jones.

Image source, Weather watcher Lily

The government of Jersey has urged people to stay at home between 20:00 and midnight, and to keep away from the coast, after a rare red wind warning was issued by the island's forecasters.

Storm Goretti is expected to bring intense winds to the Channel Island, with gusts of up to 90mph(144 km/h) forecast at the peak of the storm.

People have also been urged to secure garden furniture and any other loose items before the storm arrives, and to only call emergency services if there is a risk to life.

You can read more information on warnings for Jersey here.

Image source, Glencoe Mountain Rescue Team

A climber with hypothermia who was rescued from a mountain in Glencoe still managed to make the bus home shortly after, rescuers says.

The man was airlifted after becoming stuck on steep, freezing terrain on Saturday.

Glencoe Mountain Rescue Team say he was lowered into position for a helicopter lift using ropes.

Volunteers later gave him a lift back to Glencoe village in time to catch the Ember E4 service in the direction of Edinburgh.

The rescue was one of two carried out by the team over the weekend.

Image source, Glencoe Mountain Rescue Team

Leading health charities have warned the cold snap can be challenging for people living with long-term health conditions.

As we've reported, the UKHSA has issued cold weather health alerts until Monday.

Asthma + Lung UK CEO Sarah Sleet warns people with lung conditions are facing freezing temperatures, which can make symptoms such as breathlessness and wheezing worse, as well as the continued risk of flu.

"Respiratory illness is the leading cause of all emergency hospital admissions during winter," she explains, adding that people with lung conditions are seven times more likely to die if they catch the flu compared to healthy adults.

Alzheimer’s Society says cold weather can be difficult for a person with dementia to adjust to and they may not always be able to communicate if they are cold.

The charity urges people to check in on loved ones, friends and neighbours living with dementia and make sure they are warm, making the most of natural daylight and they are eating and drinking regularly.

Image source, EPA Shutterstock

The RAC warns motorists to avoid driving overnight or to bring their journeys forward so they do not get stuck in the worst weather.

There are clear signs that disruption is likely across a large swathe of Wales and central England, says RAC breakdown spokesperson Alice Simpson.

“These relatively rare amber weather warnings for snow must be heeded by drivers," she adds.

Those who have to drive need to be confident with slippery surfaces and make sure their vehicles are up to the task, Simpson continues.

Motorists should make sure they are carrying an emergency breakdown kit so they can stay warm and communicate easily if they get stuck or break down.

"These aren’t conditions anyone wants to be caught out in," Simpson adds.

As the UK battles with the snow, so does continental Europe.

We've taken a snapshot of some of the best pictures of the cold snap:

Image source, EPA

Image source, EPA

Image source, Reuters

Image source, Reuters

Image source, Armend NIMANI / AFP via Getty Images

Joan Davies, 74, in Swansea contacted BBC Your Voice explaining how the snowfall has left her housebound:

“I had a hip replacement in May and I’m still struggling to walk. I’m 74 and live alone. The snow means I’m totally housebound.

"It’s a struggle for me to just go out to the bin and I can’t get to my car to go shopping. I’m like a hermit at the moment.”

You can send in your cold weather stories, pictures and videos via email, external or WhatsApp, external.

As we've just reported, trains in Cornwall have been cancelled from 18:00 GMT, here's a wider look at the impact on the railways:

Scotland:

• LNER services between Aberdeen and Edinburgh are now beginning to return to normal after a large number of cancellations
• ScotRail has cancelled all trains to and from Wick while the tracks are cleared of snow

Wales:

• Trains will be cancelled between Ebbw Vale Town and Maesteg, Cardiff Central and Newport until the end of the day

England:

• From 15:00 GMT, CrossCountry will have a reduced service on some routes, including between Manchester and Birmingham, Reading and Birmingham, and Bristol and Birmingham
• Disruption is expected on the line between Truro and Falmouth Docks in the south-west until 11:45

• The East Midlands Railway network has closed the Hope Valley - the line between Sheffield and Manchester - until the start of service on Saturday
• Some northern England routes will be suspended from around 18:00, including between Guide Bridge and Glossop/ Hadfield
• In south-west England, heavy rain flooded a track between Liskeard and Looe, damaging the bridge structures. As a result, trains are unable to run in this area at this time
• From 19:00 this evening, London Northwestern Railway and West Midlands Railway will operate a reduced timetable

More broadly:

• Avanti West Coast are running fewer trains today from 15:00 and into tomorrow and tickets may be accepted on other open routes
• Services on Great Western Railway will continue to be impacted today and tomorrow, although the full impact has not yet been confirmed. Delays and cancellations may take place at late notice

We've just heard from National Rail who have outlined disruption to some train services in south-west England.

In Cornwall, all trains are to be suspended from 18:00 GMT this evening until Friday morning.

"Replacement road transport will not be available as road conditions are expected to be at risk," National Rail say.

Trains between Exeter and Okehampton, and Exeter and Barnstaple will also be suspended due to forecast high speed winds.

National Rail say: “There will be challenging conditions through this evening and tomorrow on parts of the network owing to Storm Goretti, and we’ll be doing all we can alongside our train operator colleagues to keep passengers moving safely throughout.

"If you’re planning to travel this evening or tomorrow, please make sure you check your journey beforehand by visiting your train operator’s website or National Rail."

In our next post, we'll bring you a look at how the trains have been impacted across the UK.

In Scotland, a yellow warning of snow and ice covering the whole country was issued by the Met Office. It came into force 22:00 GMT on Wednesday and lasts until midday today.

Aberdeenshire has been one of the worst-hit councils in Scotland, with people in some rural villages being cut off from essential services - leading to some people wading through the snow to get hold of urgent supplies.

Below are some of the pictures we've received from our BBC Weather Watchers:

Image source, Weather watcher Papa Robin

Image source, Weather watcher Tweedie

Nick Triggle
Health correspondent

As we've reported, the UKHSA has issued cold weather health alerts until Monday, our health correspondent has taken a look on the knock-on effect for the NHS:

The start of January is always one of the busiest times for the NHS with flu and the cold snap this year making hospitals extremely busy.

The NHS is reporting a rise this week in people seeking help for respiratory problems and injuries from slips and falls due to the icy conditions.

Adding to the pressures is a bounce back in flu with NHS England saying Christmas and New Year mixing seems to have driven a rise in those with the virus needing hospital treatment.

Last week the numbers in hospital with the virus hit 2,924 a day on average - a rise of 9% on the previous week.

This comes after two weeks of falls, prompting hope that flu cases may have peaked.

There was always a risk January could see another increase, although the current numbers in hospital are still well below last year’s peak of more than 5,000.

Ken Banks
Reporting from Aberdeen

Another night of snow here in Aberdeen and the north east of Scotland has left the area in the grip of winter conditions for an eighth consecutive day.

A yellow warning for snow and ice started at 22:00 GMT on Wednesday and will last until noon on Thursday, covering all areas apart from Shetland.

In Aberdeenshire, more than 160 have taken the decision to stay closed.

Aberdeen City Council had expected most schools to be able to re-open on Thursday amid a thaw, however the fresh snow overnight has left many closed again.

In the Highland Council area, 55 schools are closed and about 60 opened later. In Moray about a dozen are closed.

• We took a look at school closures across the region a little earlier.

Image source, AFP via Getty Images

Storm Goretti is the the first named storm of 2026.

It's been named by the official French meteorological administration Meteo-France.

If a storm is named by one meteorological agency then all will use the same name to ensure consistency in communication.

In the UK, the Met Office work with Ireland's Met Éireann or the Netherlands' KNMI in naming a storm when they are forecast to cause "medium" or "high" impacts.

The list of storm names is announced on 1 September each year and runs in alphabetical order.

Will Vernon
Reporting from Nottinghamshire

We’re at a gritting depot in Nottinghamshire, where the team are gearing up for what could be record-breaking snowfall over the next 48 hours.

The teams here and at other depots are responsible for more than 1,100 miles of roads across the region.

Extra manpower is on standby to be drafted in and the depot can work 24 hours if things get really bad.

Just 70km (40 miles) from here, authorities in Stoke-on-Trent say they’re preparing for what could be the worst snowfall in ten years.

The amber weather warning is in place from 20:00 GMT due to the risk of heavy snow, which could reach 30cm (1 foot) in higher areas of Wales and the Peak District.

School closures are expected, as well as disruption to public transport and roads.

Simon King
Presenter and meteorologist, BBC Weather

As Storm Goretti starts to move in across southern England this afternoon the winds will gradually increase.

But, later this afternoon in south west England, winds pick up very quickly bringing extremely dangerous gusts of wind up to 90 or even 100mph in the Isle of Scilly and parts of Cornwall.

A Met Office amber warning is in force here from 16:00 GMT where they say "violent gusts of wind may persist for two or three hours before easing". Damaging to buildings is likely with power cuts and a danger to life.

These very dangerous winds will also move along the English Channel where the Channel Islands will also see wind gusts in excess of 90-100mph.

Jersey Met Office has issued a red warning for the shipping area.

Image source, Getty Images

Amber cold weather health alerts have been issued by the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) across the country until Monday, 12 January.

This means that the cold weather is likely to have severe impacts across health and social care services.

Officials expect this could result in a rise in deaths, particularly among those aged 65 and over, those with health conditions and those under five.

What is a cold weather alert?

The weather alert service covers England and is run jointly by the UKHSA and the Met Office.

Cold health alerts are issued between 1 November and 30 March, and heat health alerts are published between 1 June and 30 September.

As well as warning the public, the system sends guidance directly to NHS England, the government and healthcare professionals to help reduce illness and deaths during periods of extreme hot and cold weather.

• You can find out more about cold weather alerts here .

As cold weather grips the UK, we've taken a look at some of BBC Weather's advice for dealing with snow and ice. Here are some top tips, in the form of short videos.

If you're driving, what should you make sure to pack in your car during winter?

Our furry friends might enjoy the snow - but when is it too cold to walk your dog?

What's the best way to de-ice your car windscreen and make those cold starts to the day slightly easier?

We're closely monitoring school closures across the UK - here's how to find out if your child's school is shut today.

In Aberdeenshire, one of the worst hit parts of the country yesterday, as many as 164 schools are closed today due to the weather.

Aberdeenshire Council is providing an updated list each day given the disruptive weather conditions due to heavy snow in the region.

Yesterday, in a rural village in Aberdeenshire, people had to wade through deep snow to get hold of essential supplies.

Storm Goretti is set to sweep across the UK.

There is a mixed bag of weather conditions across the country - here's a selection of images from BBC Weather Watchers this morning.

As a reminder, you can also send your pictures, videos and stories in to us via email, external or WhatsApp, external.

Image source, Superted/BBC Weather Watchers

Image source, 33's Garden/BBC Weather Watchers

Image source, BeachStrollerRoly/BBC Weather Watchers

Image source, DMIKEJ/BBC Weather Watchers

Image source, Bella/BBC Weather Watchers

Image source, PA Media

Cars:

• Traffic Scotland has five yellow snow and ice warnings, external in place across the country
• National Highways has issued its own amber warning for snow in the West and East Midlands, lasting from 18:00 on Thursday until 09:00 on Friday
• The agency warns of "particularly difficult driving conditions" around Birmingham, across to Leicester and Nottingham

Trains:

• Rail services will be impacted in England, Scotland and Wales across Thursday and Friday, says National Rail - passengers are advised to check their full journeys, external before travelling
• Heavy snow is causing disruption to services across northern Scotland, and customers should expect cancellations, alterations or delays, National Rail warns
• Eurostar routes to and from London St Pancras are likely to see delays and cancellations -check with Eurostar for updates, external on your journey

Planes:

• Major airports in the UK say they'll be operating as normal
• The exceptions to this are the airports in Jersey and Guernsey - which both say they will close at 18:00 due to Storm Goretti