Storm Gerrit

Storm Gerrit was named by the Met Office on 26 December 2023 and brought damaging winds, heavy rain and snow on 27 to 28 December 2023. Wales, north-west England and Scotland were worst affected, and yellow wind, rain and snow warnings covered much of Scotland. The highest gusts were 89mph at Fair Isle (Shetland), 87mph at Mona (Anglesey) and 86mph at Inverbervie. Post-Christmas travel was severely disrupted. The East Coast Main Line closed beyond Newcastle, leaving crowds stranded at King's Cross, and drivers were stuck in snow for hours on the A9. Thousands of properties lost power, worst in north-east Scotland and Shetland. A major incident was declared in Stalybridge, Greater Manchester, after a tornado damaged around a hundred homes. Sources: Met Office storm report; Scottish Government.