Storm Goretti expected to unleash snowy winter havoc on UK

Storm Goretti is expected to bring a wintry blast to the United Kingdom on Friday, according to British weather authorities.

The UK's nationwide meteorological service, the Met Office, said parts of the UK will see as much as 30 centimeters (almost 12 inches) of snow. Winds of up to 160 kilometers (99 miles) per hour are also in the forecast.

"Storm Goretti will be a multi-hazard event, with the most significant impacts from snow in parts of Wales and the Midlands and the every strong winds in the far South West, though heavy rain in some parts of Wales and East Anglia also has the potential to bring disruption to many," Met Office Chief Forecaster Neil Armstrong said.

The Met Office went as far as issuing a rare red warning for southwest England with "violent gusts" lashing the city of Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly. A red warning signifies that dangerous conditions are expected and people in the affected area should take immediate action for their safety.

The BBC has described the Storm Goretti system as a "weather bomb" — a storm that develops rapidly, with air pressure plunging at its center.

The system covered France and the Netherlands with snow earlier in the week and brought disruption to the skies and the streets. Storm Goretti was given its name by French weather forecaster Meteo France.

One hundred flights were canceled at France's major Charles de Gaulle airport on Wednesday, with Amsterdam's Schiphol Airport also annulling thousands of routes in recent days.

Public buses had been suspended in Paris on Wednesday with vehicles such as trucks banned from the roads of northern and western France due to snow and ice in the forecast.

Meanwhile, in northern Germany, a separate weather system known as Storm Elli is expected to bring heavy snowfall to the major city of Hamburg and the surrounding region. Snow has shut down the major Köhlbrandbridge in Hamburg and public schools are closed in the city.