I don't want to seem overly dramatic here, but a storm is expected to really bring its A-game when it fully hits the UK in a few hours. Snowflakes are already lightly falling in south-east England, but that's child's play compared to what's forecast, according to the Met Office.
Last week, the polar vortex was listed as a 'Yellow Weather Warning', which means 'be aware' but that's now been bumped up to 'Amber', meaning 'be prepared' for the Midlands, England's north and half of Scotland.
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That level of warning suggests that there is a potential risk to life.
The Met Office says: Heavy snow showers are expected on Wednesday. Travel delays on roads are likely, stranding some vehicles and passengers. Some delays and cancellations to rail and air travel are likely. There is a good chance that some rural communities could become cut off. Power cuts are likely and other services, such as mobile phones, may be affected."
Southeastern trains has warned commuters to try and get on a service before 6pm as the schedule is very unpredictable once the storm properly hits.
The weather forecaster says affected areas can expect between 5-10cm of snow, with some even getting as high as 20cm in the centre, north-west, north-east and Scottish Highlands. The storm, which is being nicknamed the 'Beast from the East', has swept across Russia and northern Europe, bringing fiercely cold winds from Siberia.
It was caused by a phenomenon known as 'sudden stratospheric warming' which sparked a 'kink' in the normal air jet stream that revolves around the upper-Northern Hemisphere.
Public Health England's Dr Thomas Waite has issued this dire message, saying: "Check on friends, family and neighbours who may be at risk and make sure they're heating homes to at least 18C, see if they need any particular help or just someone to talk to and keep an eye on the Met Office's forecasts and weather warnings."
Temperatures could drop as low as -15C in some areas and the horrendous weather could last until mid-March. Just when you thought winter was behind you, BAM! A cheeky little polar vortex comes to surprise you.
While the mercury might be saying it's just above zero, it's going to feel well below that due to wind chill factor.
Great.
The weekend was also freezing and was the coldest lead up to March since 1986, with -5C being seen in some areas around the UK.
So if you thought Saturday and Sunday were chilly, you ain't seen nothing yet. Better crank out the extra-woolly jumper and extra-thick duvet because it's going to be a cold one.
Featured Image Credit: PATopics: Winter, Snow, Weather, UK News, Beast From The East