<div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Britain and Europe have been gripped by a giant Arctic storm, triggering public safety alerts and transport chaos as temperatures plunge to -33C degrees in some parts.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The UK Met Office, the country's national meteorological agency issued a rare top-level red alert late on Thursday (Friday AEDT) for south-west England.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>It also sent out a yellow alert for heavy snow and rain in northern England, Wales and the Midlands, with falls of up to 30cm expected in some areas.</span></div></div><div><div id="adspot-mobile-medium"></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>LIVE UPDATES:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/live-updates-victoria-fires-heatwaves-nsw-evacuations-warnings/b3dd925f-8fcf-45f9-bb78-be279eda0b24" target="_blank"><strong><span>Thousands flee homes as fires spread; Major heatwave to hit millions</span></strong></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Weather forecasters warned Storm Goretti sweeping in from the Atlantic Ocean would bring "violent gusts" of up to 160km/h in the county of Cornwall and the isolated Scilly Isles.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Residents are being warned to expect damage to buildings and homes, school closures, flying debris and power outages.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Meanwhile, several airports have been closed and flights cancelled due to the severe weather.</span></div></div><div><div class="OUTBRAIN" data-reactroot="" data-src="//www.9news.com.au/world/arctic-freeze-grips-britain-and-europe/d97d7db2-09e2-4b7e-af94-d16c1b014c76" data-widget-id="AR_5"></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Birmingham Airport in the English Midlands suspended the use of its runway due to heavy snow, while the Channel Island of Jersey and Guernsey closed their airports.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/world/hoax-bomb-threat-caller-jailed-in-us/afd5157b-29d3-4c90-a7b4-ed0eef4b2cb2" target="_blank"><strong><span>Man jailed over hoax bombing campaign threatening London hospitals</span></strong></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Train travel has been severely impacted, with all services in Cornwall cancelled.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"This multi-hazard event will bring significant disruption to many," said Neil Armstrong, chief forecaster at the Met Office.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"This is a complex spell of severe weather."</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><h2><span>Europe bracing for storm impact</span></h2></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Storm Goretti is expected to sweep into north-west Europe after it leaves the shores of the UK.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>This week many countries have recorded frigid temperatures, snow and ice.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The severe weather disrupted services at one of the continent's biggest airports - Schiphol in the Netherlands, causing the cancellation of about 700 flights.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>French media also reported disruption at a major airport.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Heavy snow forced the cancellation of about 100 flights at Paris's Charles de Gaulle airport and a further 40 at the French city's smaller Orly hub on Wednesday, reports France24.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>In the far north of Europe, the mercury plunged below -30 degrees.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The Finnish Meteorological Service recorded a mid-week temperature in northern Finland of -33 degrees.</span></div></div>