UK weather forecast warns ‘Beast from the East 3’ could return with snow next week – and ‘White Easter’

BRITS could be hit by the "Beast from the East 3" as the threat of snow returns next week - and with it the chance of a "White Easter".

The existing cold snap may be coming to an end, but snow and below-average temperatures could return just in time for the holiday weekend.

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BBC weather presenter Simon King tweeted: "Who likes trilogies?

"When you get a sudden stratsopheric warming event like we saw in Jan, it often means you can get more than one/two/three bouts of colder weather.

"#BeastFromTheEast continued?"

The Weather Outlook has also indicated that we might not have seen the back of the wintry weather, with forecasts suggesting high pressure could build to the northwest in the run-up to Easter.

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This could bring a "renewed snow risk" - with statistically a greater chance of a White Easter than a White Christmas.

The Met Office's medium range forecast says: "There remains some uncertainty in the forecast for the Easter Weekend, but we are likely to see slow moving weather systems across the UK, with wetter weather more probable in the south and with drier, colder conditions in the north - albeit with a risk of snow at times."

Brits had hoped they were seeing an end to the Beast from the East, after the so-called Mini Beast caused hundreds of schools to be closed and motorists to be stranded.

Last night the M25 closed between J27 and J26 after a pile-up involving lorries and a car - bringing more travel chaos.

A severe weather warning was issued for England and Wales yesterday with temperatures set to sink down to -4C overnight- and forecasters predicted the last of the snow for the week.

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A yellow weather warning for ice is in place until 9am this morning - with the Met Office warning of "slips and falls".

Winter pressure in the NHS will not let up until Easter at the earliest, the Society of Acute Medicine has said - echoing fears the impact of the bad weather will continue.

The health service was "brought to its knees" over the colder months, according to the Society, which represents hospital specialists in acute medicine.

Despite the impending bad news for Easter, temperatures in the South West are set to edge up to 11C in some places by tomorrow.

A spokesman for the Met Office said: "Obviously things are improving - the worst conditions are out of the way in terms of snow although we're looking at some chilly nights ahead.

"There will be some widespread frosts and temperatures could get down as low as -8C (17.6F) in north western parts of the UK over night.

"The winds are turning around in to a northerly cutting off that very cold air so things are becoming less cold and less windy.

"In the next couple of days most places are going to be quieter and it could become fairly mild by Wednesday."

He continued: "Temperatures will be closer to where they should be for the time of year."

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Widespread travel disruption continued yesterday - particularly in Devon and Cornwall, where more than 80 people were forced to spend the night in a rest centre in Okehampton College after a 60-mile stretch of the A30 was shut off.

Yesterday police reported that the seaside resort of Ilfracombe in North Devon was cut off due to heavy snow.

A four-year-old girl was fighting for life after the car she was in skidded on ice and hit a tree.

The Ford Fiesta car, which had been travelling from Windermere to Kendal, in Cumbria, left the road in poor weather and collided into trees and a ditch.

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A woman has been left with a brain injury after falling on her head while out sledging with her family.

Anne Johnston now has slurred speech and headaches and struggles to move after crashing her sled in Arbroath, Scotland.

An elderly woman was rescued by a hovercraft after being blown 60ft off a cliff top in 26mph wind earlier this week.

The 70 year-old lost her balance and fell from the cliff top path between Silverdale and Arnside in Morecambe Bay, Lancs, says the coastguard.

Across Somerset, Devon and Cornwall the majority of schools were closed due to snow and ice.

In Devon, only four of 307 opened today, and in Cornwall 97 were shut.

In Somerset, 163 schools were forced to close.

As warmer weather beckons at the end of an icy spell, flooding could hit across the UK as rivers are expected to burst their banks following recent rainfall.

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The Environment Agency has issued a warning for a stretch of the River Nene in Peterborough, while residents have been warned to expect flooding in 22 other areas, mainly in the South West.

Met Office meteorologist Martin Bowles told Sun Online: "The snow is virtually finished now, it's going to be dry for most of the rest of the week.

"The last of the Beast from the East is today and Spring will finally start.

"This week will begin to feel much more spring-like, with temperatures reaching up to 11C on Wednesday and Thursday this week."

But the Met Office hasn't ruled out the chance of snow in the Easter Weekend, while hill snow could fall in the north this weekend.

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The Met's 30-day forecast cautions: "There remains some uncertainty in the forecast for the Easter Weekend.

"We are likely to see slow-moving weather systems across the UK, with wetter weather more probable in the south."

They conclude that "drier, colder conditions in the north" are likely - with "a risk of snow at times".

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