Severe winter storm Goretti swept across the United Kingdom on 8–9 January 2026, bringing winds of up to 100 mph, heavy snow and widespread ice. The Met Office issued rare red and multiple yellow weather warnings, while thousands of homes lost power. Transport links were hit hardest, with British Airways cancelling dozens of flights at Heathrow, Birmingham Airport suspending operations overnight, and rail operators halting services on key inter-city routes.([theguardian.com](https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/live/2026/jan/09/storm-goretti-live-news-updates-uk-weather-snow-latest-met-office-warnings))
Business travellers faced major disruption as airport closures triggered knock-on delays to connecting itineraries worldwide. Many travel-management companies activated emergency assistance teams and re-routed executives via Dublin, Paris and Amsterdam. Road closures meant airport transfer times doubled in parts of the Midlands and South-West, and some employers invoked remote-working policies under their duty-of-care frameworks.
During such weather-related upheaval, a specialist provider like VisaHQ can be a lifeline. Its London-based team (https://www.visahq.com/united-kingdom/) can accelerate passport renewals, arrange emergency visas for rerouted journeys through Schengen or other hubs, and monitor shifting entry rules—helping travellers pivot quickly without running into documentation snags.
![Storm Goretti batters UK, grounding flights and paralysing ground transport]()
National Grid deployed extra engineers and restored power to more than 160,000 properties by midday on 9 January, but business-park outages continued in Cornwall and the West Midlands. The Institution of Occupational Safety and Health reminded employers that ‘foreseeable weather hazards’ must be built into risk assessments and resilience plans — including the ability to switch to remote meetings at short notice.
Although most UK airports re-opened by Friday afternoon, airlines warned of residual delays into the weekend as aircraft and crews reposition. Travellers are advised to monitor flight-status apps, retain evidence of delays for insurance claims and be aware that EU-style cash compensation is unlikely because extreme weather is deemed an extraordinary circumstance.
Companies with field staff were urged to review winter-driving protocols and to check whether hotel or subsistence caps are realistic during periods of mass disruption.
Business travellers faced major disruption as airport closures triggered knock-on delays to connecting itineraries worldwide. Many travel-management companies activated emergency assistance teams and re-routed executives via Dublin, Paris and Amsterdam. Road closures meant airport transfer times doubled in parts of the Midlands and South-West, and some employers invoked remote-working policies under their duty-of-care frameworks.
During such weather-related upheaval, a specialist provider like VisaHQ can be a lifeline. Its London-based team (https://www.visahq.com/united-kingdom/) can accelerate passport renewals, arrange emergency visas for rerouted journeys through Schengen or other hubs, and monitor shifting entry rules—helping travellers pivot quickly without running into documentation snags.
National Grid deployed extra engineers and restored power to more than 160,000 properties by midday on 9 January, but business-park outages continued in Cornwall and the West Midlands. The Institution of Occupational Safety and Health reminded employers that ‘foreseeable weather hazards’ must be built into risk assessments and resilience plans — including the ability to switch to remote meetings at short notice.
Although most UK airports re-opened by Friday afternoon, airlines warned of residual delays into the weekend as aircraft and crews reposition. Travellers are advised to monitor flight-status apps, retain evidence of delays for insurance claims and be aware that EU-style cash compensation is unlikely because extreme weather is deemed an extraordinary circumstance.
Companies with field staff were urged to review winter-driving protocols and to check whether hotel or subsistence caps are realistic during periods of mass disruption.
