WATCH LIVE weather radar: Barrage of snow set to smash UK as Storm Emma hits
A THICK blanket of snow is heading for Britain with Atlantic Storm Emma set to collide with freezing Siberian winds – dubbed the ‘Beast from the East’ – over the United Kingdom. Watch live weather radar as the deep-freeze continues.
UK to be hit by 15cm of snow as storm Emma sweeps Britain
Forecasters have warned of the coldest blast in 27 years as Storm Emma moved across the Atlantic towards the UK.
Temperatures will plunge to -15C (5F) in parts over the coming nights with widespread lows of between -4C and -10C.
Nationwide snowfall is forecast from today with many regions likely to be under a foot of the white stuff by Friday.
The freezing weather has caused travel chaos across London, despite the worst of the weather yet to come according to predictions.
The UK is on track for some really cold weather this week. It's not going to be record-breaking, but it'll be pretty exceptional
Southeastern, which operates in Kent, has cancelled dozens of trains, including several to London St Pancras, London Victoria and Cannon Street, while other companies affected include Southern, Greater Anglia and Great Northern.
British Airways has cancelled several flights from Heathrow Airport, while EasyJet warned disruption to its flights was expected. School closures were also likely.
The Met Office has forecast widespread snow and issued yellow warnings for Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday.
By the end of Wednesday, more than 20cm of snow may have accumulated in some parts of eastern England, Scotland and Northern Ireland.
WATCH LIVE WEATHER RADAR AS THE UK SNOW THREAT CONTINUES
Met Office meteorologist Charlie Powell said: "The UK is on track for some really cold weather this week. It's not going to be record-breaking, but it'll be pretty exceptional - winds are going to make it feel minus 10C (14F) to minus 15C (5F) during the day."
BBC Weather forecaster Susan Powell echoed the warning, predicting Kent could be covered in up to 15cm of snow.
The BBC Weather meteorologist said: ““Good morning, no surprises, of course, another cold day to come. Widespread frost across the British Isles, a significant easterly wind adding to the cold feel and then obviously the snow is a major concern and its risk of bringing disruption to parts of the UK today.
“Many areas, in fact, are covered by a Met Office yellow warning, amber warnings though which are the intermediate level, means ‘be prepared’ for disruption, sit across the northeast of England, into the north Midlands at the moment, and across the southeast of England, particularly around the Thames estuary and for the northwest of Kent.
Pickup truck helps stranded lorry through the snow on M20
“For England and Wales however, the organised area of snow across northern England and what is for Lincolnshire is no tracking its was southwestwards, which means it will push across the north Midlands through this morning and in to north and central Wales, possibly clearing away and hopefully by midday with brighter skies following on behind.
“But not before it has brought five to 10cm of snow to some areas, snow across the Thames estuary, in the northwest of Kent persistent, 15cm possible in some areas here.”