Storm Goretti battered northern Europe on Friday, leaving hundreds of thousands of households without electricity, shutting schools and severely disrupting rail and air travel across several countries as heavy snow and gale-force winds compounded an already brutal week of freezing weather.
Emergency services across the region scrambled to respond as the powerful storm moved eastward after hitting Britain on Thursday, bringing severe snowfall and strong winds. In Germany, officials described the conditions as among the most severe winter weather events in recent years.
Widespread Power Outages
In France, the storm cut power to around 380,000 homes, mainly in Normandy and Brittany, as violent winds and heavy snow battered the region. In Scotland and parts of central England, approximately 57,000 households lost electricity overnight, according to the National Grid.
The storm’s impact extended to critical infrastructure, with French state-owned energy company EDF reporting that electricity production at the Flamanville nuclear power plant was affected. Reactors 1 and 3 were taken offline following the loss of a high-voltage power line.
Tempesta Goretti sull’Europa: centinaia di migliaia senza luce. Allerte meteo in Francia e Regno Unito, cittadini invitati a restare in casa. pic.twitter.com/Fl7mVDWKCW
— euronews Italiano (@euronewsit) January 9, 2026
Transport Chaos Across Europe
Winds exceeding 150 km/h (93 mph) were recorded in parts of northwestern France, with a record gust of 213 km/h reported in Barfleur. As a result, French rail operator SNCF suspended train services between Paris and Normandy.
In Britain, rail operators warned passengers not to travel, with several services suspended as the storm passed through central England.
Disruption intensified further east. In Germany, state-owned rail operator Deutsche Bahn halted long-distance train services until further notice, citing extreme winter conditions. At Hamburg Airport, around 40 flights were cancelled, while authorities worked to clear snow-covered runways and rail tracks.
In the Netherlands, national carrier KLM cancelled 80 flights to and from Amsterdam’s Schiphol Airport, where hundreds of flights had already been grounded earlier in the week due to freezing temperatures.
Images VIS satellite #meteo Meteosat Eumetsat 12H15
La tempête #Goretti se comble lentement sur les Pays Bas .https://t.co/dZI0ffgfFJ pic.twitter.com/4Vznly5RW4
— meteophile (@meteophile) January 9, 2026
Regional Impact Beyond Northern Europe
Elsewhere in Europe, the severe weather continued to cause disruption. In Hungary, the military was deployed to assist motorists stranded in heavy snow. Across the Western Balkans, flooding and strong winds caused widespread damage, with one fatality reported in Albania. In northeastern Turkey, gale-force winds ripped roofs off buildings.
Authorities across affected countries urged residents to avoid non-essential travel and remain alert as extreme winter conditions persist.
