Hurricane force 12 winds are being forecast for this evening as the biggest storm since Ciarán is due to batter the island with gusts of up to 90 miles per hour…
As the island braces for impact, Express rounds up what we know so far about the cancellations and closures resulting from what has now been dubbed a “major incident”…
What’s the current forecast?
The strongest winds of Storm Goretti are forecast to arrive from 6pm through until the early hours of Friday morning.
Islanders are being advised to stay at home from 8pm until midnight – and to keep away from the coast.
The Jersey Met Office has issued a red wind warning as Storm Goretti approaches, with gusts up to 90mph forecast at the peak of the storm.
Islanders are being asked to call the emergency services overnight only if there is a risk to life, and to check their property before the storm arrives and secure garden furniture and any other loose items.
Cancellations and schedule changes
Several flights due in and and out of the island today have already been cancelled or rescheduled.
Four flights scheduled to depart Jersey after 5pm tonight will not be taking off, according to Jersey Airport’s website. They are:
- GR309 to Guernsey at 5.15pm
- BA2525 to London Gatwick at 7.10pm
- LM567 to Guernsey at 7.35pm
- EZY730 to Manchester at 8.00pm
A further seven flights due to arrive in Jersey later today have also been cancelled or rescheduled:
- GR308 from Guernsey at 4.45pm
- BA2524 from London Gatwick at 6.20pm
- LM558 from Southampton at 7.05pm
- BA2526 from London Gatwick at 7.25pm
- EZY729 from Manchester at 7.30pm
- EZY883 from London Gatwick at 7.50pm
- BA1356 from London Heathrow at 8.15pm
Affected passengers are urged to liaise with the airline they were booked to fly with.
LibertyBus has decided to end all services earlier than scheduled today (see table below), and will decide on whether any further schedule changes will be required once roads have been inspected tomorrow morning.
The Jersey Amateur Dramatic Club has decided to cancel tonight’s performance of D’Artagnan and the Three Centeniers at the Jersey Arts Centre. Those who have tickets for tonight’s show will be contacted by the box office.
The Jersey Lifeboat Association has postponed its annual general meeting, which was scheduled to take place tonight at Trinity Parish Hall. The meeting will now take place on Monday 19 January at 7pm in the same location.
Closures
Jersey Airport will be closing early at 6pm tonight and hopes to reopen on Friday morning.
Many supermarkets are also due to shut early this evening, with all M&S, Waitrose and Co-op stores closing at 6pm tonight, and Alliance stores closing at 7pm.
Jersey Zoo has delayed opening tomorrow morning until at least 10am. Teams will be on site early in the morning to assess whether opening will need to be delayed further.
Val de la Mare and Queen’s Valley reservoirs will both be closed from this afternoon “until further notice” to allow teams to assess any damage following the storm and ensure both sites are safe before being reopened.
The default position is that schools will open as normal on Friday morning.
However, individuals schools will be making early assessments of property, therefore parents are asked to check social media and media channels from 7am.
Follow Express for updates… and head to Bailiwick Express Guernsey for all the latest updates from around the islands…