SNOW JOKE!
Flake Britain grinds to pathetic halt as Beast From East hits trains, planes, roads & shops
THE big freeze paralysed snowflake Britain last night as panic swept the nation.
Supermarket shelves were left empty when stampeding millions stockpiled bread and milk.
Forecasters warned of the coldest week in almost 30 years as the “Beast From The East” roared in with -12C temperatures.
And train chiefs caused nationwide chaos when they warned commuters to “get home by 6pm” last night.
At Heathrow, British Airways told holidaymakers to prepare to stay at home for the week as it cancelled dozens of flights.
Weather experts warned the worst is yet to come, with the deadly chill factor plunging as low as -15C.
By tomorrow, eight inches of snow is expected to have accumulated across the country in the path of the Russian brute.
Amber warnings came into force from the north of Scotland to the south east of England in the early hours of this morning and will remain in place into tomorrow.
Collapse
The Met Office fears villages and towns will be cut off and health experts warned Brits to check on neighbours and family.
The Ministry of Defence has put three battalions on standby.
A spokesman said: “We have the right people, with the right training and the right equipment to help deal with any contingency.”
Met Office forecaster Frank Saunders said: “Parts of England and Wales are likely to see their coldest spell of weather since at least 2013, and possibly since 1991.
“This could lead to dangerous conditions on roads and pavements and have an impact on people’s health.”
And he warned the Siberian chill would be followed by Portugal’s Storm Emma, due from Thursday.
Senior medics warned the NHS could be on the brink of collapse this week.
The Society for Acute Medicine, which represents hospital specialists, said the killer conditions could leave the health service facing a “grave” situation.
Dr Nick Scriven, president of the society, said: “The onset of a spell of extremely cold weather is of great concern for acute medical units who are already struggling with the widelyreported stresses of this winter.
“So far this winter we have seen the NHS survive on the goodwill and effort of hard-pressed staff of all levels who have gone the extra mile.”
Emergency shelters were also opened for the homeless last night.
Dr Thomas Waite, of Public Heath England, said: “Cold temperatures inside and out can make you ill and can even kill.”