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| UK weather: Snow falling as Siberian blast hits UK | |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| Snow is falling across parts of the UK as very cold air sweeps in from Russia. | |
| Yellow and amber weather warnings for snow are in place for Monday in much of southern and eastern England - with warnings extending into the Midlands, Scotland and Wales on Tuesday morning. | |
| Many areas have been hit by freezing temperatures, with a wind chill making it feel like -15C in some places. | |
| Rail firms have warned of disruption, with South Eastern advising passengers to complete journeys by 18:00 GMT. | |
| Wednesday and Thursday's yellow warnings will also cover Cornwall, Scotland and Northern Ireland. | Wednesday and Thursday's yellow warnings will also cover Cornwall, Scotland and Northern Ireland. |
| By Wednesday night, more than 20cm (8ins) of snow could have accumulated in some parts of eastern England and Northern Ireland, forecasters have warned. | |
| Scotland is expected to have between 5cm (2ins) 10and 10cm (4ins) of snow on Wednesday. | |
| Road, rail and air travellers could face severe disruption, with BBC Weather warning of possibly hazardous conditions in southern England later in the week as a low pressure weather system moves up from the Bay of Biscay and hits the already "exceptionally cold air". | Road, rail and air travellers could face severe disruption, with BBC Weather warning of possibly hazardous conditions in southern England later in the week as a low pressure weather system moves up from the Bay of Biscay and hits the already "exceptionally cold air". |
| Train disruption: | Train disruption: |
| Meanwhile, Heathrow Airport says it is not expecting delays, but urged anyone flying later in the week to check the status of their flight with airlines. | |
| Alina Jenkins, from the BBC's Weather service, said: "Any precipitation will turn readily to snow, and with bitterly cold strong to gale force easterly winds, blizzards are likely." | |
| Met Office meteorologist Charlie Powell said: "Unusually for Britain, the snow is going to be quite dry, so it will blow around and gather in drifts and we could see some blizzard conditions." | Met Office meteorologist Charlie Powell said: "Unusually for Britain, the snow is going to be quite dry, so it will blow around and gather in drifts and we could see some blizzard conditions." |
| He added that while he did not want to alarm people, the Met Office was urging people to be prepared for the so-called "beast from the East". | He added that while he did not want to alarm people, the Met Office was urging people to be prepared for the so-called "beast from the East". |
| Parts of the UK will feel as cold as Norway and Iceland. | |
| Wet vs dry snow | Wet vs dry snow |
| When surface temperatures are below freezing, snow is drier as it contains less water. | |
| This type of snow is powdery and does not stick together, the Met Office says. | |
| Wet snow however, is the result of slightly warmer, moist air, which causes the edge of snowflakes to melt and stick together. | Wet snow however, is the result of slightly warmer, moist air, which causes the edge of snowflakes to melt and stick together. |
| The Local Government Association said councils were well prepared, having stockpiled 1.5 million tonnes of salt to help keep roads clear. | The Local Government Association said councils were well prepared, having stockpiled 1.5 million tonnes of salt to help keep roads clear. |
| Council teams will also be visiting elderly and vulnerable people to deliver hot meals and carry out emergency heating repairs, the LGA said. | Council teams will also be visiting elderly and vulnerable people to deliver hot meals and carry out emergency heating repairs, the LGA said. |
| However, it urged people to check on neighbours who may struggle to cope in the cold. | However, it urged people to check on neighbours who may struggle to cope in the cold. |
| Public Health England have advised homes to be heated to at least 18C. | Public Health England have advised homes to be heated to at least 18C. |
| Emergency shelters have been opened across the country as councils offer extra accommodation to the homeless during the freezing conditions. | Emergency shelters have been opened across the country as councils offer extra accommodation to the homeless during the freezing conditions. |
| The offer of a hot shower, clean clothes, food and a bed can help save lives, homeless charity St Mungo's said. | The offer of a hot shower, clean clothes, food and a bed can help save lives, homeless charity St Mungo's said. |
| You might also be interested in: | You might also be interested in: |
| We would like to hear your experiences in the cold snap. Please send your comments and pictures to: haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk. | We would like to hear your experiences in the cold snap. Please send your comments and pictures to: haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk. |
| You can also contact us in the following ways: | You can also contact us in the following ways: |
| Tweet: @BBC_HaveYourSay | Tweet: @BBC_HaveYourSay |
| Or please use the form below: | Or please use the form below: |