Channel Islands stay indoors warning for Storm Goretti

Islanders have been advised to stay indoors on Thursday evening as Storm Goretti is expected to batter the Channel Islands.

Jersey Met said strong winds and heavy rain had been forecast for the Channel Islands, with gusts of up to 90mph (144km/h) expected from 18:00 GMT through until the early hours of Friday morning. The States of Guernsey said it could see winds of up to force 12, 73 mph (117 km/h).

Both governments said islanders should stay at home “for their safety” when the wind was “at its peak” from 20:00 GMT on Thursday until Friday morning and “stay away from the coast”.

High tide is expected at about 22:00 GMT on Thursday with “significant waves forecast to affect coastal areas”.

Both Guernsey Airport and Jersey Airport said they would close early at 18:00 GMT due to the forecast of extremely high winds, with a number of inbound and outbound flights cancelled.

Guernsey Coastguard advised boat owners and maritime users to take precautions by making sure their vessels and other craft were “properly secured before the weather deteriorates” and to avoid heading out to sea during high winds.

The Alderney Harbour Authority said public access would be restricted to the Harbour Facility from 16:00 GMT on Thursday.

Guernsey’s States said if people had plans it would be “worth considering rearranging them” and that any events taking place on its sites were “likely to be cancelled” but that it would confirm cancellations by Thursday morning.

It added bus services could potentially finish early on Thursday and be suspended until winds dropped. Kerbside recycling could also be cancelled dependent on the forecast.

Islanders were also advised to secure their properties by checking their gardens for anything that needed to be secured to reduce flying debris.

Jersey Met said weather warnings would be issued alongside updates to the local forecast regularly and it would “continue to work with government colleagues to prepare”.

Officials said it expected a final forecast by Thursday morning.