Britain, having already plunged into a deep-freeze by Siberian winds, faces another barrage of ice-cold as Storm Emma touches down from the Atlantic Ocean.
The Met Office, on Wednesday, issued a red weather warning for the central belt of Scotland and on Thursday extended that warning to Wales and the south west of England.
Met Office forecaster Andy Page said: “Heavy snow showers and drifting of lying snow in the strong easterly winds will become more widespread overnight into Thursday.
“Roads will become blocked by deep snow with many stranded vehicles and passengers.
“Long delays and cancellations on bus, rail and air travel are expected, some communities could become cut off for several days.”
And now with Storm Emma close to striking Britain, the Met Office has issued another forecast showing the monster storm approaching the UK.
The latest deep-freeze will first strike Plymouth in the south west before making its way toward Cardiff, where it is also expected to dump more snow on London.
Forecasters have warned Storm Emma threatens the entire UK with its worst snowstorm in 50 years when the deadly storm arrives on Britain’s shores.
Met Office warnings predict up to 2 foot [50cm] of snow will fall across the southeast by Friday with Scotland facing similar amounts.
Strong winds will whip up snowdrifts several feet deep which threaten to leave swathes of the country buried until mid-March.
The Met Office said: “Widespread snow is expected to develop through Thursday afternoon and evening. Around 10-20 cm is likely to fall widely, with the potential for up to 30 to 50 cm over parts of Dartmoor, Exmoor and parts of southeast Wales.
“Snowfall will be accompanied by strong to gale easterly winds, leading to severe drifting of lying snow, especially in upland areas.
“Severe cold and wind chill will compound the dangerous conditions, with very poor visibility.
“Towards midnight, there is a chance of snow turning to freezing rain in places, mainly across the south of the area, with widespread icy stretches making driving conditions particularly dangerous.”
Extending the warning, BBC Weather said: “The Met Office has issued a red weather warning for Devon, Somerset and the southern half of Wales – meaning imminent loss of life is possible.
“A separate red weather warning has been in place for Scotland’s central belt.
“The snow continues to cause problems across the UK, with hundreds of schools closed in south Wales, south of England and Scotland.”