WHITE OUT!

AIRPORT CLOSED, SCHOOLS SHUT AND HUNDREDS WITHOUT POWER AS THE 'MULTI-HAZARD EVENT' HITS THE REGION

- By SOPHIE BUSCIMESE and ZENA HAWLEY

EAST Midlands Airport temporarily closed its runway, hundreds of homes were left without power and a dog was carried to safety by a mountain rescue team as Storm Goretti hit the East Midlands yesterday.

The storm, named by French weather forecaster Meteo France, was described as a “multi-hazard event” by the Met Office.

A number of schools across Derbyshire decided to keep their doors closed yesterday, while the council advised people to only travel when necessary.

Many buses, trains and other forms of public transport were cancelled as a result of the weather, while East Midlands Airport temporarily shut its runway following heavy snowfall.

In the early hours of yesterday, the airport announced via social media that staff were working tirelessly to clear snow from the runway as swiftly as possible.

“Flights will resume as soon as it is safe to do so but some delays are expected,” the post read.

Passengers were advised to contact their airline directly for up-to-date information regarding their flights.

National Highways also issued an amber severe weather alert for snowfall across the East Midlands from 6pm on Thursday, January 8, through to 9am on Friday, January 9.

In an update at around 5am, EMA said: “Due to heavy snowfall earlier this morning, our runway remains closed.

“Our teams are working hard to clear the runway and restore operations as soon as possible.