A GP surgery, a secondary school, a college and a pre-school in the St Austell area were forced to close on Friday (January 9) in the aftermath of Storm Goretti.

Middleway Surgery was one of numerous premises hit by an ongoing power cut in St Blazey.

Properties in the town lost power on Friday evening as the storm raged. Around 2,750 premises were affected. Many were reconnected to the power supply overnight but nearly 200 were still without electricity on Friday morning. At the time, it was estimated the power might not be back on until Sunday morning.

Middleway Surgery said it was without power, heating and telephones, and posted: “Please bear with us as we set up our emergency contingency plan.”

An online update from the surgery on Friday morning said: “We still have no power and are contacting all patients who have routine appointments. The surgery is closed and we are working remotely.

“If you need to see a GP urgently today then please use our online Klinik form – pressing the contact us button above or going via our website. Our duty GP is working through these and is able to see patients at another location. We apologise for the inconvenience caused.”

Tywardreath Pre-School Playgroup was unable to open on Friday.

The playgroup posted: “Due to having no electricity and significant damage everywhere, we will be unable to open today. We appreciate this is not ideal for working families but everyone's safety is our priority. Thanks again for your continued understanding.”

Cornwall College St Austell was also shut. A spokesperson for the Cornwall College Group said on Friday: “Due to extreme weather overnight and ongoing conditions this morning, Cornwall College campuses at St Austell and Camborne are closed today. Students will move to remote learning, with work set by tutors.”

Brannel School in St Stephen, in the Clay Country, was also shut on Friday.

In a statement, the secondary school said: “Due to an ongoing electrical outage caused by Storm Goretti, and a lack of guarantee of when this may return, we have taken the decision to close the school for the day (Friday, January 9, 2026).

“The loss of power has impacted essential systems across the site and despite ongoing work by engineers, we are currently unable to operate the school safely. After careful consideration, we feel that a full closure is the most appropriate course of action in order to ensure the health and safety of our students and staff.

“We will continue to monitor the situation closely and will provide further updates regarding reopening as soon as more information becomes available. Please do not send students to school today.

“We appreciate that this may cause inconvenience for families and we thank you for your understanding and co-operation during these challenging circumstances.

“Further communication will be sent via our usual channels once we are able to confirm arrangements for the next school day.”

Other schools in the St Austell area opened later than usual on Friday.