Storm Goretti CLOSES Birmingham Airport following heavy snowfall amid weather warning

Birmingham Airport has warned tourists operations have been suspended as vicious Storm Goretti has led to heavy snowfall across the city and the wider West Midlands

A major UK airport has been forced to suspend all operations due to the snow.

All departures and arrivals have been halted at Birmingham Airport following the wintry showers, caused as a result of Storm Goretti. The tempest arrived on Thursday night and sent snow falling across large swathes of the UK, particularly across the Midlands and parts of Wales.

A Birmingham Airport statement reads: "Due to heavy snow, runway operations are currently suspended. We will continue to keep our website updated with changes as they happen. Passengers due to travel from Birmingham Airport are advised to contact their airline for the latest updates on their flight."

Flights to Paris, Bergamo, Geneva, Delhi and other destinations have either been cancelled or delayed. Services from Edinburgh, Belfast, Paris, Amsterdam and other cities have been cancelled due to the closure.

A later update, shared on the airport's Facebook page at 5.10am, read: "Our teams are completing final snow clearance and safety checks on the airfield. Runway operations are still suspended at this time however, passenger security processing has commenced. The safety of our colleagues and customers is our number one priority. We apologise for any inconvenience this may cause. Passengers due to travel should contact their airline regarding the status of flights."

Schools will also be closed on Friday across the UK, including across the Midlands, Wales and the Southwest of England. However, all other airports across the UK, such as East Midlands and Bristol, are currently unaffected by the storm.

Speaking earlier today, Met Office chief forecaster Neil Armstrong said: “A Red severe weather warning for wind has been issued for the Isles of Scilly and much of Cornwall. Storm Goretti will bring exceptionally strong gusts in the Red warning area which could reach 100mph or more. Winds are expected to increase rapidly with violent gusts that may persist for 2-3 hours before easing.

"Heavy snow will affect Wales, the Midlands and parts of northern England overnight and through Friday morning. This multi-hazard event will bring significant disruption to many."

He continued: "Goretti will bring snow on its northern edge, this most likely over Wales and the Midlands. Here accumulations of 10-15 cm are likely widely, with 20-30 cm possible in some places, especially higher ground in Wales and the Peak District. An Amber warning has been issued where the greatest risk of disruption is likely on Thursday night into Friday morning. This is a complex spell of severe weather and I’d advise people in the warning areas to keep up to date with the forecast and messages from local authorities."

Further north, cold conditions persist with a continued risk of snow and ice. Thursday and Friday will be more settled days across Scotland, Northern Ireland and the far north of England with some coastal wintry showers but brighter and drier conditions inland. Temperatures fell to -14.7°C at Tomintoul, Banffshire, overnight last night. Temperatures will once again drop overnight, widely falling below freezing and lows of -12°C or lower possible in areas of lying snow. Further warnings are likely to be issued for the continued wintry conditions.