HEAVY snow has covered parts of Britain this week – and it is set to continue over the weekend.

Ice storms – dubbed the 'Baltic Beast' – are forecast to dump up to a foot-and-a-half of snow in Scotland, with 8in expected to fall in other parts of the UK.

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Where has it snowed in the UK?

A thick blanket of snow fell in the north yesterday with Yorkshire and the north east of England catching the majority of fall.

The onslaught began with heavy, icy showers before turning into full-on snow.

Elsewhere, parts of Scotland have experienced further dumps of the white stuff, which will turn to sleet in the south and west as much colder air arrives later.

Rural communities have been warned they are at risk of becoming cut off, while widespread travel disruption is likely.

Will it snow today?

The Met Office has extended yellow weather warnings for snow as Storm Darcy barrels towards Britain.

The warnings cover most of the UK over the weekend, but particularly the north of Scotland, which has already seen significant snowfall.

It also covers the south east of England and western areas from the early hours of Sunday morning until midnight.

An estimated 8in of snow could fall in Essex, East Anglia and Kent over the weekend.

Darcy could also significantly hit Norfolk, Suffolk, Essex, and Kent.

Even London is set to see a blanket of snow, although this is not expected until Sunday.

The Met Office warns Brits in southeast England to expect "heavy disruptive snow" and "40 to 50mph wind gusts which will cause snow drifts".

Roads may become blocked by deep snow, with the possibility of many stranded vehicles and passengers.

Forecasters also warn of possible travel delays or cancellations to rail and air travel.

Met Office Chief Meteorologist, Paul Gundersen, said: “The UK is in for a notably cold and snowy period over the next week, with very cold air in place over the whole of the UK by Sunday.

“Showers will see snow accumulating across eastern areas. Within the Amber warning area, more widespread snow is expected and we could see 5-10 cm of snow quite widely, with a chance that a few places could see 20 cm or more.

“With such severe weather around it’s important to keep up to date with the latest forecast.”

Cold air emanating from Russia and Eastern Europe will move across the UK over the coming days, bringing "significant" snow to parts of Eastern England and Scotland, forecasters said.

Daytime temperatures will stay in low single figures for much of the country, with some places staying below freezing and the bitter winds making it feel even colder.

Meteorologist Steven Keates said: “This will be the most significant snowfall we have had all at once since the Beast from the East three years ago.

“The blizzards will cause some quite significant travel issues and it is the amount of snow which could easily cut off isolated communities in Scotland."

Will the snow settle?

Up to 20in of snow is set to fall in parts of the country following days of flooding and torrential rain across Britain.

Severe weather warnings for snow, ice, and rain are in place until Monday – with parts of Scotland set to be cut off during the two-day blizzard.

An amber weather warning for snow is in force across much of South Yorkshire, and parts of Derbyshire, West Yorkshire and Greater Manchester, which will last until 1pm on Wednesday.

Between 1in and 3in of snow is likely across the area, with 4in to 6in possible in areas above 200 metres.

An amber warning – meaning likely travel issues and power cuts – for the east and south-east of England is also in place with "heavy snow at times".

Elsewhere, an alert for snow and ice is in place from central Scotland down to the Midlands until midnight on Tuesday, which is likely to affect public transport and motorists.

Between 2in and 4in of snow could fall over higher ground in southern Scotland and northernmost counties in England with the possibility of 8in or more across the highest roads.

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