Storm Darcy weather forecast LIVE – Snow 1ft deep and -10c chill hits UK as Met Office warns of Beast from the East II

BRITAIN will see 12 INCHES of snow dumped by the Beast From The East this week with snow blizzards and freezing winds to hit.

Monday is set to be another bitterly cold day with some places struggling to get much above freezing, the Met Office said.

Essex, Norfolk, Suffolk, Kent and Medway are all regions which that have been hit by an “area of widespread, persistent and occasionally heavy snow”.

An amber warning is in place until later today in the south east of England, which reads: “Accumulations of snow will be widely 5-10cm with 15-20cm in places and a small chance of 25-30cm for a few sites."

Meanwhile, new warnings for snow and ice across eastern areas the length of Britain are in place until Wednesday.

The Met Office said Sunday started “on a wintry note in some areas, with rain turning increasingly to snow across the south-east of the UK, and snow showers feeding into the north-east.”

And there are warnings of widespread weather-induced power cuts across the country too.

Follow our weather live blog below for the latest news and updates from around the country

  • Chiara Fiorillo

    POLAR BEARS CUDDLE IN THE SNOW

    Hope has been sparked for a new sibling for the first polar bear cub born in the UK for 25 years after his parents were spotted cuddling up on camera.

    Polar bears Arktos and Victoria have been brought together at Highland Wildlife Park near Kingussie with hopes of producing a new cub.

    The two have been cuddling together in the snow.

    Highland Wildlife Park, which is run by the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland, is currently closed due to Covid-19 restrictions.

    Credit: SWNS:South West News Service
    Credit: SWNS:South West News Service
  • Ben Hill

    CANCELLED FLIGHTS

    Snow from weekend blizzards snarled roads and cancelled flights in the Netherlands on Monday, while also stirring hopes among the locked-down Dutch for a return to ice skating on their canals for the first time in years.

    The Royal Netherlands Meteorological Institute extended a warning for snow drifts and slippery conditions to large parts of the country after more than 30 centimetres (nearly 12 inches) fell in 24 hours in some areas.

    The train service shut down on Sunday and remained patchy on Monday, while buses and trams continued to have difficulties in many towns and cities.

    The post office said it was unable to deliver the mail in some areas because roads were inaccessible due to ice and snow. At Schiphol airport, dozens of flights were cancelled or delayed.

  • Ben Hill

    DO NOT TRAVEL

    Cops warned people not to travel as heavy snow and ice brought disruption to parts of the UK, closing coronavirus vaccination centres and schools.

    The Met Office has issued severe amber snow warnings for London and south-east England, where heavy snow is likely to cause long delays on roads as well as affecting rail and air travel.

    Around 5cm-10cm (2in-4in) is set to fall in these areas, reaching up to 30cm (11.8in) in the worst affected regions.

    Another amber warning is in place for Nottinghamshire and north to Sheffield, as well as east into Lincolnshire.

  • Ben Hill

    FRENCH FLOODING

    Southwestern France was hit by heavy flooding on Monday following days of torrential rain, and several other regions including eastern Paris were on flood alert ahead of a cold snap expected later this week.

    The worst flooding was in Saintes, 115 km (71 miles) north of Bordeaux, where the river Charente stood at a near-record level of 6.20 metres (20 feet). The waters were at waist level in several streets and knee-deep in large parts of the town.

    Hundreds of people were evacuated as water seeping into cellars knocked out power supplies. Local authorities laid beams on cinder blocks so residents could walk from flooded houses to dry land.

  • Chiara Fiorillo

    INDOOR TEMPERATURE SHOULD BE AT LEAST 18C

    The Met Office advises maintaining indoor temperatures to at least 18C, particularly for those who have limited mobility, long-term illnesses or are 65 and over.

  • Chiara Fiorillo

    SNOWFALL RADAR

  • Chiara Fiorillo

    WEATHER FORECAST FOR TUESDAY

    The Met Office's weather forecast for tomorrow says: "Further snow showers in the east, frequent and heavy in central Scotland.

    "Many western parts dry with some sunshine, but very cold again.

    "Windy in the south."

  • Chiara Fiorillo

    NEWBURY HOPING COURSE COVERS CAN HELP BEAT THE COLD SNAP

    Officials at Newbury have covered the entire course in a bid to give their Betfair Super Saturday meeting every chance of beating the freezing weather.

    Clerk of the course Keith Ottesen was happy with the state of the track on Monday and reported the ground to be soft as they prepare for arctic conditions.

    "We've covered the track. It's a big job. We put them down on Sunday and we're just finishing off in a few places today," said Ottesen.

    "It's quite cold. We're all right today, it's soft ground. The forecast is for it to be very cold all week. We'll just keep an eye on it and hope for the best.

    "We will monitor it closely all week. We've done what we can and we'll hope for the best."

  • Chiara Fiorillo

    RURAL COMMUNITIES 'COULD BECOME CUT OFF'

    Yellow snow and ice warnings are in place for much of the UK, with people told to expect "frequent" wintry showers that "may lead to travel disruption in places".

    The warnings, stretching across northern England to Belfast in Northern Ireland and down to the south-east of England, say "rural communities could become cut off".

  • Chiara Fiorillo

    FUN TIME

    People sledge in the snow in Knole Park, near Sevenoaks, south of London.

    Snow is still falling this afternoon, with cold temperatures expected to continue all week.

    Credit: AFP or licensors
  • Chiara Fiorillo

    TEMPERATURES BELOW ZERO FOR MOST OF THE UK

    Temperatures are expected to plummet below 0C for most of the UK.

    The Met Office said: "Strong easterly winds will make it feel bitterly cold across much of the UK, with further snow showers feeding westwards.

    "These showers merging into some longer spells of snow over some eastern areas, whilst always drier and brighter further west."

  • Chiara Fiorillo

    ROADS CAN BE 'LETHAL', AA WARNS

    The AA said the "treacherous driving conditions" led to "numerous" accidents on UK roads on Monday.

    Spokesman Ben Sheridan said: "Roads will be lethal where snow and ice has hit the UK.

    "If you must travel, reduce your speed to account for the conditions and leave plenty of space behind other vehicles.

    "Don't forget to clear snow from the windows, lights and roof of the car so you can see and be seen, and watch out for black ice and compacted snow, especially in rural areas."

  • Chiara Fiorillo

    POLICE TELL DRIVERS NOT TO TRAVEL

    Police forces in parts of Suffolk, Norfolk and Essex told drivers not to travel as roads became "impassable" due to settled snow.

    Road closures were announced in Norfolk, Lincolnshire, Cumbria, Derbyshire and Hertfordshire.

  • Chiara Fiorillo

    STUCK IN THE SNOW

    A car had to be dug out of the snow in Southrepps, Norfolk.

    The Met Office issued a severe amber snow warnings for London and south-east England.

    Heavy snow is likely to cause long delays on roads and with rail and air travel.

    Credit: PA:Press Association
  • Chiara Fiorillo

    WEATHER CONDITIONS 'WORSENING'

    Highways teams say conditions are "worsening" – and the weather is as bad as the 2018 Beast from the East.

    People have been urged to stay at home and avoid going out unless necessary.

  • Chiara Fiorillo

    TONIGHT'S WEATHER FORECAST

    The Met Office's weather forecast for tonight says: "Some clear intervals, but often a good deal of cloud giving a few light snow showers in the west, but more frequent and heavier in eastern areas."

  • Chiara Fiorillo

    MAN DIES ON SUFFOLK BEACH

    A man who is believed to have been kite-surfing died on a Suffolk beach yesterday.

    Desperate passers-by battled to save the man, who was in his 50s.

    Sadly, he died at the scene.

  • Chiara Fiorillo

    WRAP UP

    If you go for a walk this afternoon, you will need to wrap up.

    The temperature is set to remain very cold, with winds making it feel well below freezing.

  • Chiara Fiorillo

    THERMAL CAMERA CAPTURES COLD WEATHER

    Pictures taken with a thermal camera show how cold the temperature is this morning.

    With their bright colours, thermal cameras provide non-contact temperature measurements.

    They are often used to monitor winter ice conditions as they can see in total darkness, through light fog, light rain and snow.

    Thermal cameras show the drop in temperaturesCredit: Flir Systems
    Barney the dog thinks it's too cold for him to leave the houseCredit: FLIR Systems
  • Chiara Fiorillo

    TRAINS CANCELLED BECAUSE OF SEVERE WEATHER

    Greater Anglia has cancelled 59 of its services including all services to and from Walton-on-the-Naze, where the line is blocked by a two-and-a-half foot snowdrift.

    Southeastern rail has also cancelled a number of services and "strong advises" passengers not to attempt travel.

    It said the Maidstone East line will be closed today and added: "Given the severity of the forecast some routes are closed with no replacement transport available."

    Southern Railway has also cancelled trains.

  • Chiara Fiorillo

    SNOW CAUSES DISRUPTION

    Snow is causing disruption across England, with 40 cars and lorries blocking the A6003 in Uppingham, Rutland.

    A van fire has caused delays on the A229 near Maidstone in Kent this morning.

    It has been reported the driver turned up the heating to clear the windscreen of snow before the blaze began.

  • Chiara Fiorillo

    BRITS ASKED NOT TO TRAVEL TODAY

    Brits have been told not to travel today – as 12ft snowdrifts block major roads and medics warn a -10C polar plunge could cause heart attacks.

    Temperatures won't rise above freezing in many areas of the UK, the Met Office said.

  • Chiara Fiorillo

    NEW AMBER WARNING ISSUED FOR PARTS OF SCOTLAND

  • Chiara Fiorillo

    SOME REGIONS COULD SEE UP TO 15 CM OF SNOW

    Some eastern parts of the country could experience up to 15cm of snow today, forecasters have said.

    There could also be as much as 15cm in parts of the East Midlands and Yorkshire and Humber, particularly over the Lincolnshire Wolds.

  • Chiara Fiorillo

    PLENTY OF SNOW SHOWERS

    BBC Weather forecaster Nick Miller said there are "plenty of snow showers out there to start the week".

    They are especially in eastern areas of the UK.

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