Hundreds of homes without power as Storm Goretti brings snow

More than 600 homes and businesses in Bewdley were left without power as Storm Goretti bought heavy snow.

An amber weather warning has been issued by the Met Office for much of the Midlands with up to 20-30cm of snow in some locations.

Commuters in Herefordshire and Worcestershire faced challenging conditions on Thursday evening.

West Midlands Railway said a number of routes were affected and urged passengers to check timetables before travelling.

On the roads, Worcestershire's highways operations manager Chris Riley said: "We're making all the necessary preparations that we can to minimise the disruption to Worcestershire's road network."

It came after Redditch MP Christopher Bloore raised concerns about some roads and pavements being left untreated following reports, he said, of skidding vehicles and hazardous junctions.

Snow ploughs were ready and salt stocks were good to go, Riley said.

He added the anticipated storm might present some challenging conditions, and the county was preparing for "reasonably significant impacts".

Ed Bradford, head of highways at Herefordshire Council, said gritters were ready to respond, and had already done 18 runs since Christmas Eve.

"It's basically being ready and waiting to see what does come through... Herefordshire is a big old rural county," he said.

With more than 2,000 miles of network to look after, Bradford said the authority did not treat everywhere, but tried to make sure the key routes stayed open.

The authority said partner agencies, including the county's 4x4 service, were also on standby to help where needed.

Marc Scriven, the director of strength and conditioning at the University of Worcester, said pedestrians should copy how penguins walk when outside.

People should try to walk with their toes slightly pointed out to create a triangle, known as a base of support, he said.

"If you turn your toes out, you'd run a line through your toes and your heels, it will touch at the back of you,

"We call it a power triangle."

Scriven also urged people to think about their clothing before venturing out.

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