The day the sea froze over.. and there’s worse to come
Even ocean freezes over as Beast from the East batters UK Up to 12in of snow on way... and get ready for Storm Emma
SHORE IS COLD Beach in Somerset yesterday
SIBERIAN temperatures gripping Britain even caused the sea to freeze yesterday.
Snow and ice brought chaos for travellers across the country as the Beast from the East blasted in from Russia.
Up to a foot of snow is expected to fall in London, the South East, the Midlands, the North and Scotland over today and tomorrow.
And forecasters warn another weather system, Storm Emma, will batter the South on Thursday – the first day of spring – before sweeping North, bringing more blizzards, gales and sleet.
Stunning pictures showed how plunging temperatures made the sea freeze over yesterday.
Ian Heard, 48, took the photos at Weston-super-Mare, Somerset, while walking on the beach.
He said: “We were amazed to discover that there was a long swathe of ice crystals built up on the sand where the tide had come in overnight and frozen.”
A Met Office spokesman said it was “very rare indeed”.
Heavy snow overnight is expected to make journeys extremely difficult this morning, particularly in the South East and Essex. Forecasters have issued yellow weather warnings for snow covering nearly all of the country.
More severe amber warnings cover parts of the South East, East Anglia, the Midlands, Yorkshire and the North East.
Some country areas could be cut off, with power cuts and disruption to mobile services likely.
Most regions will struggle to reach above freezing all week.
National Rail warns that c2c, Gatwick Express, Great Northern, Greater Anglia, South Western Railway, Southern, Stansted Express, TfL Rail, and Thameslink face disruption. British Airways cancelled more than 60 short-haul flights and announced it was running a reduced schedule at Heathrow and Gatwick, with customers being offered refunds or other flights.
Highways England’s head of road safety Richard Leonard said: “Drivers should plan their journeys, monitor weather reports and pack a snow kit of blankets, food, water and a shovel if they need to travel.”
There were reports of panic buying. Charlotte Day, 24, said worried customers stripped shelves and queued for half an hour at tills at Tesco Extra in Gillingham, Kent.
Met Office chief forecaster Frank Saunders said: “Parts of England and Wales are likely to see their coldest weather since at least 2013, and possibly since 1991. This could lead to dangerous conditions and have an impact on people’s health.
“There is the potential for disruptive snowfall in many parts throughout the week.”
Doctors have warned that the NHS could struggle to cope with the extra strain caused by the weather.
People are being warned to check on elderly or vulnerable neighbours – and to report anybody sleeping rough.
The wind chill factor, which could see parts of the UK feeling as cold as -15C, rivals parts of northern Norway and Iceland.
The Beast from the East has sent temperatures plunging across Europe, with even Rome covered in snow yesterday. One of the coldest places was the German Alps at -27C.
There was a long swathe of ice...tide had come in overnight and frozen IAN HEARD ON BEACH AT WESTON-SUPER-MARE