BBC Weather update: Travel chaos not over as MORE blizzards forecast in next 24 hours
COMMUTERS across England are set for more travel chaos as Storm Emma moves in over England and Wales triggering a second red weather warning from the Met Office in less than 24 hours.
UK to suffer 'SIGNIFICANT travel disruptions' from more snow
BBC Weather warned commuters are set to face "significant travel disruption" as Storm Emma begins to unleash its full power over parts of England and Wales.
BBC Weather forecaster Louise Lear said: "There is still the threat of some snow across southern England, south Midlands and stretching up into Wales through the afternoon and that is still going to cause some significant travel disruptions.
"We haven’t had a red severe weather warning for snow issued since 2013 and we’ve had two in consecutive days. Today we’ve got a red weather warning for the south-west, for Wales as well.
"It means 'take action', we are going to see significant snow blizzard-like conditions through the latter stages of the day and spreading up into Northern Ireland overnight."
As freezing easterly winds blow in from Siberia, the storm, laden with moisture from the sea will smash the western side of the UK.
Two masses of air will meet bringing a rare and potentially deadly union which could see parts of England suffer the worst winter whiteout in history.
The BBC forecaster continued: "The snow showers in the east are likely to continue but not as widespread as they have been. We’ll see some brighter, sunnier moments across much of northern England down to the Midlands.
"A cold afternoon, particularly with that easterly wind: temperatures may well say one to two degrees on the thermometer but it will feel more like -6C to -9C. Wrap up warm."
Flight cancellations have been announced at both Heathrow and Gatwick Airport, while Glasgow and Dublin are scheduled to remain closed until Friday at least.
British roads in chaos as '1000s' of cars stuck in snow
Some snow is still going to cause some significant travel disruptions
National Rail announced serviced between England and Scotland are still not running, writing on Twitter: "There are currently no trains running between England and Scotland via the West Coast Main Line or the East Coast Main Line. Passengers are advised NOT TO TRAVEL to and from Scotland today.
"Services between Taunton and Penzance may be cancelled delayed or revised until the end of the day. Services between Westbury and Weymouth will be suspended until the end of the day."
Met Office warnings predict up to 2 foot [50cm] of snow will fall across the southeast by Friday with Scotland facing similar amounts.
Strong winds will whip up snowdrifts several feet deep which threaten to leave swathes of the country buried until mid-March.
BBC Weather forecaster Louise Lear said: "In the last few hours the snow has really gathered in intensity across the south-west. Just in the last few minutes, the Met Office extended the amber weather warning – be prepared for some disruption – towards the west of London. But it's the red warning that is the real issue.
"This one means
It is likely to be the most severe whiteout to affect parts of the country since the mammoth snowstorm of 1991.
The bone-chilling winds are expected to continue battering the UK this afternoon with Met Office weather warnings remaining in place for the majority of Britain.
Weather forecaster Simon King warned the UK was yet to see the “main event” of snow which was expected to hit Britain today and cause more disruption.
He said: “We have got this band of light snow which is moving its way northwards at the moment which is giving many of us a little bit of snow as we speak.
“There will be a bit of respite I think for a time around about the late-morning into lunchtime, that snow will ease off.
Almost 4,000 gritters with ploughs have been sent out to clear roads of ice and thick snow. The RAC
The Army is on standby to help local councils clear deep snow and clear the roads should they request although as yet this has not happened.