Mcb777 BetBeast from the East 2021 map: Where will snow and cold weather hit? | The Sun - Mcb777 Cricket

HEAVY snow and freezing rain battered the UK last week as the Beast from the East sparked travel chaos and created wintry scenes.

Now Brits have been warned that three days of heavy rainfall combined with melting snow could cause deadly floods.

⚠️ Read our UK weather live blog for the very latest news and forecasts.

A snow covered scene near Carperby in North Yorkshire on January 16Credit: PA:Press Association

Where will the Beast from the East hit in 2021?

Forecasters suggest a new "Beast from the East" could hit Britain with "significant" snow and -5C daytime temperatures for two months.

Freezing conditions similar to those which caused the phenomenon in 2018 are forming, with experts warning we could be battered once more.

However, with Storm Christoph sweeping through the UK, torrential rain will be more widespread than snow this week.

Today (January 19), amber heavy rain warnings have been issued across parts of England including Manchester, Leeds, Sheffield, and Peterborough.

The amber weather warning began at 6am this morning and will stay in place until 12pm on Thursday, January 21.

Brits in an amber warning area could see homes flooded, fast and deep-flowing flood water in the local area, disruption to roads and travel and even power cuts.

A wider yellow rain warning has also been issued by the Met Office covering the south of Scotland, Northern Ireland, northern England, the midlands and Wales.

For Scotland and Northern Ireland, the warnings will remain in place until 12pm tomorrow - but for England and Wales the warnings will last until 12pm on Thursday, January 21.

Heavy rain combined with snowmelt across the hills could lead to flooding of roads and properties, with fast flowing floodwater potentially posing a threat to life.

Yellow and amber rain warnings are in place across parts of Britain today

Manchester, Sheffield, Leeds and surrounding areas are set to see the worst of the rain, although millions of people in the east and midlands will also take a hit.

Overnight, 10 flood warnings - meaning flooding is expected and immediate action is needed - were in place, largely across East.

A further 109 flood alerts have also been issued - meaning flooding is possible and the public should be prepared.

Experts say low pressure systems will move in from the Atlantic - bringing with them "heavy and prolonged rainfall".

It will remain cold throughout this week and wintry showers may spread to all regions during Thursday, January 21.

Snow could return as early as tomorrow in southern Scotland.

Parts of York were flooded on January 18 after the River Ouse burst its banksCredit: PA:Press Association

The unsettled weather follows days of yellow and amber weather warnings for snow and ice across the UK, with up to four inches expected in some areas in the north.

Yesterday, Storm Christoph was named and is expected set to bring torrential rainfall over the coming days.

Parts of Essex and East Angelia were particularly badly affected last week.

Millions of people across the country, from the Highlands of Scotland in the north to Ashford in Kent in the south, have also been hit.

The cold weather will make a return soon, it's believed - and forecasters say the UK will be hit by a Scandinavian blast next week.

Meteorologists have confirmed a sudden stratospheric warming (SSW) event is happening over the Arctic, which is what happened before the Beast from the East three years ago.

Met Office meteorologist Tom Morgan said: “It's going to feel quite different to last week, with temperatures in double figures. Our main concern is heavy and persistent rainfall falling over the Peak District and parts of the Pennines which could combine with melting snow to cause flooding.

“That much water flowing into the river system is not good news for populated areas such as Sheffield. From Wednesday night we expect a return of colder, windy conditions, with snow falling on higher ground in the North of England and overnight frosts further south.’’

Where has the Beast from the East come from?

The weather event happens when the temperature in the stratosphere soars by 50C.

This reverses Britain's wind pattern - bringing in freezing blasts from Siberia, Russia.

Winds from Siberia push in from the east, causing the mercury to plummet - with even daytime temperatures struggling to rise above zero.

It generally takes two weeks to see the effects of a "sudden stratosphere warning" (SSW) which causes the Beast from the East.

These "SSWs" cover a larger area and can move south to Canada, the USA and Europe, increasing the risk of air temperatures decreasing to potentially dangerous levels.

There are no weather warnings for today but flooding alerts have been issued in the east of EnglandCredit: PA:Press Association

What happened in the last Beast from the East?

During the last Beast from the East in February 2018, winds swept in from Siberia - bringing 20in of snow and the coldest March day on record.

The Beast from the East combined with Storm Emma to cause havoc in the UK for a month, bringing heavy snowfall to large areas.

The Met Office issued red weather warnings of a danger to life as the storm's 70mph winds hit the polar vortex — bringing deadly snowdrifts and a -15C windchill.

It took water companies days to restore supplies to most customers after weather-related problems.