Police have expressed frustration over the reckless parking habits of tourists on a snow-covered Welsh mountain, as visitors flock to capture Instagram-worthy images.

Snowdonia in North Wales has become a hotspot for tourists eager to photograph the scenic winter landscape and share their experiences online.

Despite warnings from local authorities, many visitors have disregarded advice to avoid parking along the icy mountain roads, creating safety hazards.

North Wales Police have cautioned that such actions endanger not only the motorists themselves but also other road users, potentially leading to severe injuries or collisions with oncoming traffic.

The police have emphasized that vehicles parked dangerously may be towed if conditions allow, to ensure public safety.

This situation unfolds as Storm Goretti has unleashed severe weather across parts of Britain, resulting in tragic incidents, including the death of a man in his 50s when a tree fell on his caravan amid the storm’s fierce winds.

Emergency services were called to the Mawgan area of Helston, Cornwall, at around 7.35pm on Thursday after a tree fell.  Officers worked through Friday to safely remove it from the mobile home.

Meanwhile, Cornwall has been battered with gusts of up to 100mph as parts of Britain brace for further snow and flooding after the storm.

Inspector Jason Diamond, of North Wales Police, described the behaviour of drivers in Snowdonia over the last weekend as ‘irresponsible’ and ‘disappointing’. 

Elaborating further, he said visitors adopted a ‘if they do it, I’ll do it’ attitude to parking on the icy roadside, increasing the risk of injury for themselves as well as others. 

‘We understand that the area is outstandingly beautiful – even more so with a blanket of snow, but common sense must still prevail,’ he said. 

The Inspector said leaving cars along the ‘snow-lined carriageways’ only pushed others into the path of oncoming cars and ups the risk of ‘serious’ injuries. 

 ‘We seldom get snow flurries like we have seen in recent days, so our general motoring public are not used to driving on snow and ice, ‘he said.

‘So irresponsible behaviour for the benefit of a walk or some Instagram photos increases the demand on our emergency and volunteer services who could be focusing on dealing with real emergencies.’

And while he explained towing cars was always an option, the move had to be risk-assessed in the wintry conditions. 

‘Building car parks in a national park is far more complicated than it sounds,’ he added further.

He urged those planning on visiting the area, now officially known as Eryri, to familiarise themselves with the weather and to follow Met Office updates. 

‘If you do intend on visiting the area, please make sure you park responsibly and sensibly,’ he said.

‘Local authorities will be sending their enforcement officers out and will be issuing notices to any vehicles illegally parked.’

Gwynedd Councillor Craig ab Iago said: ‘The recent snow and ice have created some beautiful scenes and a wonderful atmosphere here in Gwynedd, and we want everyone to be able to enjoy it safely.

‘If you are coming to areas such as Pen y Pass to walk or to enjoy the views, please plan your visit carefully and respect others and our communities.

‘We are asking people to park responsibly and not block the road for others. Our officers will be working with partners from other authorities with the aim of keeping the road clear.

‘Because of the mountainous and rural nature of the area, visitors should also remember that the weather can affect the roads, which has a knock-on effect on public transport. Please check the weather forecast and road information before setting off.’

Meanwhile, Britain braces for further snow and widespread flooding as tens of thousands of people are still without power after Storm Goretti.

After severe conditions caused school closures and travel disruption this week, yellow warnings for snow and ice continue until Sunday, as 28,000 properties remain without power in the South West.

Forecasters said the combination of melting snow and rain could bring floods in the coming days, with the Environment Agency issuing 129 warnings in England on Saturday.

Rail disruption is also set to be affected throughout the weekend across England, Wales and Scotland, as the country continues to feel the effects of the storm’s wild weather.

A yellow warning for snow and ice is in place until 3pm on Saturday, with further snowfall possible across parts of northern England and much of Scotland, while a widespread risk of ice is expected to cause disruption.

Forecasts predict further 2-5cm of snow is likely in the warning area, with 10-20cm possible above 200 metres.

A separate yellow warning for ice covers large parts of England and Wales until midday on Saturday as partially thawed snow refreezes, accompanied by wintry showers and freezing fog.

In Northern Ireland, a yellow warning for snow and ice will run until 11am on Saturday, with the Met Office warning of icy patches and some hill snow.

Meanwhile the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has extended its amber cold weather health alerts for all of England until Monday, warning of a ‘rise in deaths’.

Dan Stroud, Met Office meteorologist, said the weather over the weekend will remain ‘unsettled and cold’.

He said: ‘Wintry showers will continue to affect some coastal areas on Saturday, although these will increasingly become confined to northern and eastern parts as the day progresses.

‘Elsewhere, after a cold and frosty start, it should be a mostly dry day with variable amounts of cloud. It will be a widely cold day, with frost lingering across parts of the country.

‘Sunday will start dry in the east, but cloud and rain already present in the west will move steadily eastwards.

‘The rain will fall as snow inland across the north Midlands and areas further north. However, temperatures will rise through the day, meaning the snow will become increasingly confined to higher ground by the afternoon.

‘It will be windy for all, with coastal gales and the potential for severe gales in the north west later in the day.

‘The unsettled but increasingly milder theme continues into next week, with persistent rain at times in northern and western areas, along with strong to gale force winds. However, it will feel much milder than recently, with temperatures returning to near-normal values.’

Around 15cm of snow was recorded at Lake Vyrnwy in Powys and 7cm at Preston Montford in Shropshire and Nottingham.

In Scotland, there was 27cm at Altnaharra in Sutherland, 26cm at Loch Glascarnoch and 22cm at Durris in Kincardineshire.

The highest rainfall total was recorded in Cornwall, with 61.8mm at Colliford Dam, followed by 57mm at Ddolwen Bridge, Dyfed, and 54mm at White Barrow in Devon.

In Northern Ireland, a yellow warning for snow and ice will run until 11am on Saturday, with the Met Office warning of icy patches and some hill snow.

A yellow warning for snow and ice will be in force for much of Scotland, the East and West Midlands, north-east and north-west England and Yorkshire from 2am until 3pm on Sunday.

A further 2-5cm of snow is likely in the warning area, with 10-20cm possible above 200 metres.

The wild weather brought 99mph winds overnight while a rare red warning was issued by the Met Office for ‘dangerous’ winds in South West England on Thursday.

Airports across the country, including Heathrow, suffered cancelled and delayed flights on Friday, while dozens of schools shut their doors.

About 28,000 properties were without power in the South West on Saturday morning, according to the National Grid’s website.

A further 1,700 homes in the West Midlands, 150 in the East Midlands, were also off the grid following the inclement conditions which hit Britain this week, while all power has been restored in Wales.

The storm brought winds of almost 100mph after forecasters issued a rare red warning for ‘dangerous, stormy’ winds in the South West.

Downing Street said support was being offered to homes left without power.

Birmingham and East Midlands airports both had to suspend operations yesterday due to the heavy snow, while all trains in Cornwall and many others in the North were axed.

The sky turned pink in areas of Birmingham on Friday morning following the ‘weather bomb’, after the central pressure in the area of low pressure fell rapidly yesterday.

Roads were also closed due to fallen trees following a week of severe conditions that has seen villages in Scotland cut off and temperatures falling to nearly -15C.

The Met Office has advised those within the regions covered by alerts to prepare for delays to journeys which could involve dangerous driving conditions and to take extra time when travelling to help avoid slips and falls on the ice.

Seven Football League matches were postponed in England and another seven in Scotland because of Storm Goretti, while the racing at Warwick was also called off over the weekend.

Craig Snell, Met Office forecaster, said Saturday would provide a ‘bit of respite’ across the UK as the storm moves away – despite a few ‘wintry showers’, particularly in Scotland.

Of the new weather system approaching the country, Mr Snell said this is expected to start in parts of Northern Ireland on Saturday evening, travelling across into Scotland and northern England.

He added: ‘It will bump up into the cold air and turn to snow again, but this time it is coming in with some milder air so it will transition back to rain for some of us as we go through the course of the night and into tomorrow and that again could lead to some problems with ice so we already have warnings out ahead of that.

‘This time the milder air will eventually win the day and it will herald a very different flavour of weather for all of us as we go into next week, but it’s going to be a very kind of messy transition.

‘So yes, we are expecting some further impacts tomorrow,’ the forecaster said on Saturday.

Conditions on Sunday are expected to be ‘wet and windy’ in the southern half of the UK, but with gusts ‘nowhere near as strong as they were for Goretti,’ he added.

However, some gales may still hit the coastlands, Mr Snell said, adding that this was not uncommon for the time of year.

Next week, the UK ‘will be saying goodbye to the really cold weather’, with temperatures of between 9C and 11C expected in the south and around 6C to 8C in the north, the forecaster said.