UK WEATHER Met Office say Beast from the East could arrive next week

The first Beast from the East caused havoc in February 2018, with schools closed and travel chaos.

The Met Office has said a second frozen blast from Russia will hit the UK from the middle of next week, with the potential for heavy snow and plummeting temperatures.

Forecasters said high pressure will start to build to the north of Europe over the weekend.

Next week will begin with colder, potentially snowy weather but by midweek  temperatures could drop further.

A Met Office spokesman said high pressure is expected to remain over Scandinavia throughout the week.

He said: "This setup is similar to the Beast from the East from 2018.

"We have high confidence that the high pressure system will develop, and it will turn colder than normal.

"The coldest days will tend to be around midweek as the air from Russia finally arrives in force.

"The upcoming spell of weather, whilst disruptive for some, is not expected to be as extremely cold as early March 2018, although there will still be a bitter wind chill.

"Many places in the east and north of the UK will see at least some snow, with parts of Scotland looking worst affected through Friday and Saturday."

The forecast: Monday 8 February - Wednesday 17 February

An area of high pressure looks to build to the north, and it will likely feel cold or very cold, especially in brisk easterly winds.

Snow showers are possible across the country during the early part of the period, but most widespread and heaviest for northeastern areas.

Drier weather to follow, with widespread overnight frosts, although wintry showers can still feed in from the east coast.

Any organised areas of cloud and precipitation arriving from the southwest will not progress very far into the country as a result of the high pressure.

However, they can bring the potential for widespread snow across areas where they bump into cold air. Patches of ice and other disruptive wintry hazards remain a possibility for all areas.

How the Beast from the East affected Worcestershire in 2018

AROUND two years ago, much of the UK, including Worcestershire, was hit by a snow storm dubbed Beast from the East.

Hostels in the city were at maximum capacity due to the number of rough sleepers who found shelter from freezing temperatures. Persistent snow and freezing temperatures brought disruption to Worcestershire’s schools and roads. Many schools were forced to close due to the freezing temperatures. Maggs Day Centre hosted a night shelter and it ran out of beds on three nights at one point. St Paul’s Hostel, in Tallow Hill, Worcester, had been full apart from on two days - since the end of October .

Jonathan Sutton, chief executive of St Paul’s Hostel, said at the time: “This is an extreme weather condition. “It’s the worst winter in my memory.

"The demand and the pressure it’s placing on us is the worst I’ve seen. “If homelessness is to continue to rise as reports say it will - over five to 10 years - how are we going to cope with another event like this? Demand will outstrip supply.”

Warnings were issued about dangerous driving conditions from the police who attended an incident in which one car came off the road in Cowleigh Road on the Malvern Hills, and ended up on a rock.