Storm Goretti is set to bring heavy snowfall and strong winds on Thursday as the Met Office has issued weather warnings across the UK. Up to 30cm of snow could fall in the Midlands today and gusts of up to 90mph could hit some parts of the country, where there could be a potential risk to life, the Met Office warns.

The map reveals snow depths of up to 66cm in the eastern highlands area, particularly around Aberdeenshire, by 3am. High snow depths will also impact Herefordshire and Shropshire, where depths will reach 28cm and 22cm, respectively.

A staggering 30 inches of snow could settle on the ground in some parts of the UK as two more Arctic blizzards are set to bury towns and cities this week, weather maps suggest

Weather maps forecast up to 36 hours of heavy snow across 16 English counties from January 8, with areas including West Midlands, Yorkshire and Lancashire set to be affected

New forecast maps reveal several counties at risk of heavy snow, strong winds and freezing temperatures as winter tightens its grip.

The Met Office has warned that Arctic air and freezing temperatures will bring the first snow of the winter to many parts of the UK

The Met Office has issued a “risk to life” weather warning as snow is set to blanket the UK, with blizzards set to hit some areas. Weather alerts in parts of Scotland have been upgraded from yellow to amber by the forecaster, while yellow warnings are in place elsewhere as people face a wintry start to the new year.

As Storm Goretti approaches Britain, the Met Office has issued widespread weather warnings for snow across 32 UK counties. Storm Goretti, named by the French meteorological service Meteo-France, is the first storm of the year with the 'multi-hazard' event forecast to bring heavy snow of up to 30cm.

The influence of Storm Goretti has weakened throughout today, with the Met Office confirming conditions will now gradually improve, with some sunny spells at times. However, further ice and wintry showers, with some snow on high ground, are likely to affect many northern areas and Wales

Watch the Met Office forecast for New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day, as an amber cold health alert is issued for the West Midlands.