January 8, 2026

expert reaction to Storm Goretti

Scientists comment on Storm Goretti. 

Prof Christopher White, Professor in Climate Extremes and Resilience, University of Strathclyde, said:

“The Met Office Red Warning from Storm Goretti is not just about the strength of the winds themselves, but about the dangerous combination of hazards occurring together, the risk to life, and the potential for substantial disruption to travel, damage to property and critical infrastructure. This is exactly the type of situation where impact‑based, multi‑hazard warnings are vital for communicating real‑world risk.

“Events like Storm Goretti underline how challenging prediction becomes when hazards compound and cascade. Even with modern forecasting systems, advancing multi‑hazard prediction and early warning remains such a pressing scientific and operational challenge.

“Storm Goretti is an example of why we need to increasingly think beyond single hazards. What parts of the UK are facing is a genuine multi‑hazard event, with extreme winds, heavy snow, ice and rainfall interacting. It’s these complex, compounding features and the potential for wide-spread cascading impacts that tend to drive the most severe disruption and risk to life.”

Declared interests:

Prof Christopher White: “No conflicts of interest”