Beast from the East 2021 could bring heavy snow blizzards to Leeds as fresh snow warnings issued

Back in 2018, the Beast from the East brought huge snow storms to the UK, burying much of the country under serious snowfall. Leeds was covered in heavy snow for days on end, as these photos we published at the time show.

Now, forecasters are predicting freezing Siberian winds blowing in from Russia to the UK in the coming week, resulting in a weather phenomenon similar to the Beast from the East of three years ago.

The Met Office has issued a fresh snow warning for Leeds, starting on Saturday.

The yellow weather warning for snow and ice starts at 3pm on Saturday and ends at midnight on Monday morning.

That lines up with the medium-range forecasts from the BBC which predict another Beast from the East style event.

Their forecast says: "As the colder air crosses the relatively warmer North Sea, heavy showers are likely to develop and move into eastern and central parts of Britain.

"With the colder polar airmass, these showers may fall as snow even to low levels, possibly as low as sea level.

"In mid-February, high pressure is expected to remain over Scandinavia throughout the week, keeping things rather cold. This setup is similar to the classic "Beast from the East" from 2018, and there is potential for some heavy snow showers

"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."

What the Met Office says for Leeds

"Cold conditions will persist through the weekend and into the following week with some disruption from snow and ice possible

"There is a small chance of travel delays on roads with some stranded vehicles and passengers, along with delayed or cancelled rail and air travel. There is a small chance that power cuts will occur and other services, such as mobile phone coverage, may be affected

"There is a slight chance that some rural communities could become cut off

"A small chance that untreated pavements and cycle paths become impassable"

What happened during the Beast from the East in 2018?

On March 1, 2018, Leeds was struck by the blizzard, which blanketed the city in deep snow, the likes of which hadn't been seen for years before.

Leeds seemed to be hit the hardest. Heavy downpours continued for longer than originally predicted by the Met Office and Leeds was soon blanketed with the white stuff and with rush hour approaching, public transport began to feel the strain.

There were reported bus crashes in Farsley, Churwell Hill and in Wakefield, while many routes were diverted or delayed.

Tragedy also struck when a pensioner, aged 75, was found dead under a car in the freezing conditions. The unnamed pensioner was discovered lying partially under a car at 6am on as temperatures plunged as low as -6C.

Leeds Bradford Airport suspended flights while the snow continued, and Jet2 were giving delayed passengers money so they could remain fed and watered.

Leeds train station suffered delays and cancellations too. The yellow weather warning issued told people to be aware of snow showers, but many still attempted to make their way through the city, with roads becoming progressively harder to drive on.

The vast majority of schools across the region were closed throughout the morning, with some opening later than usual.