Beast from the East set to cause chaos in Sheffield with heavy snow warning issued

The Met Office, which have placed severe weather warnings across Scotland and northern England, said there could be further travel disruption in place.

It said the cold air from Scandinavia is sitting across the north of the UK for much of this week, while to the Southwest warm, moist air is pushing in from the Atlantic.

When these two air masses meet, rain turns to snow.

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Met Office Chief Meteorologist, Frank Saunders said: "Further spells of snow will continue to affect parts of northern England and Scotland during Wednesday and Thursday.

"There could be continued travel disruption across northern trans-Pennine routes and the higher roads across the Southern Uplands and Grampians.

“Meanwhile, a period of heavy rain overnight into early Wednesday will result in rapid thawing of snow in places, particularly north east England, which may lead to a risk of flooding.”

Later this week, a low-pressure system is slowly crossing the country, pulling away to the south east allowing cold air to cross the country from the eastern continent.

Met Office Deputy Chief Meteorologist, Mark Sidaway, said: “Into the weekend snow will continue across much of Scotland, and is likely to increasingly fall to low levels before beginning to move south into northern and eastern England.

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“We are likely to see some very large accumulations across higher parts of Scotland especially, with strong winds leading to significant drifting and blizzard conditions at times.

“Although amounts of snow across England are likely to be less, they could still cause some problems as we go into the weekend.”

The forecasters said next week will stay chilly for much of the UK with brisk easterly winds making it feel even colder.

The Met Office added its six to 30-day forecast currently points to the likelihood of cold conditions continuing into mid-February.

The 'Beast from the East' is a phrase used to describe cold and wintry conditions in the UK as a result of a polar continental air mass.

It has been the reason behind past snowy weather and blizzards in the UK, including the particularly cold winter months of February and March in 2018.

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