Home
Weather London
WeatherRadar
RainfallRadar
TemperatureRadar
WindRadar
LightningRadar
Weather News
Editor's Pick
Discover the app
Weather widget
Contact us
Apps
Career
    Home / Editor's Pick /

    On this day in 2018: Storm Emma joins the Beast from the East

09:00
2 March 2023

On this day in 2018...
Storm Emma joins the Beast from the East

Drivers in winter storm
Drivers faced treacherous conditions near Blyth as Storm Emma arrived. - © picture alliance

On this day five years ago Storm Emma reached the UK, joining the so-called Beast from the East in delivering snow and misery to the country.

Storm Emma was named by Portuguese meteorologists before arriving to a United Kingdom already experiencing frigid temperatures.

The system resulted in up to 50 cm of snow in some areas of the country prompting thousands of schools and workplaces to close while providing hazardous travel conditions.

Privacy Policy

In addition to the heavy snow and gusting winds we also witnessed freezing rain at that time in the south. This rare form of precipitation sees raindrops 'supercooled' as they hit the ground where they freeze on impact.

The marina in Holyhead, Wales was devastated by the conditions with at least 80 boats destroyed and the marina itself severely damaged as ships and pontoons were swept into the buildings.

Emma arrived just a week after anticyclone Hartmut, referred to colloquially as the Beast from the East. Together the systems combined for a cold spell which persisted until March 5th.

Weeks later a second minor cold spell arrived on March 17th again bringing snowfall and colder temperatures to the UK and Ireland.

Thanks to a slight difference in overall atmospheric conditions this snap was not as severe as the initial cold spell before spring finally began in earnest.

Can you still remember the impact of this cold spell five years ago? Still have pictures saved from the chilly days? Let us know your memories of those freezing weeks through picture! Simply use our uploader to submit your choices.

Ryan Hathaway
More on the topic
Trapped beneath a blanket of hot air. Heat dome. . . Monday, 22 June 2026
Split graphic showing a heat dome illustration over Europe on the left with a high-pressure system trapping hot air, and an extreme temperature map on the right displaying widespread 40–41°C heat across France and Spain with a large thermometer icon.
Monday, 22 June 2026

Heat dome

Trapped beneath a blanket of hot air
Schools closed and more heat disruption. Red warnings now live. . . Wednesday, 24 June 2026
Split image showing a person using a sun umbrella near the Elizabeth Tower in London on the left and a temperature map of England on the right with widespread red heat, temperatures reaching 35°C near London, and a large thermometer icon.
Wednesday, 24 June 2026

Red warnings now live

Schools closed and more heat disruption
Record-breaking heatwave in Europe. New records. . . Thursday, 25 June 2026
A map showing extremely high temperatures across Western Europe and a warning symbol. On the right, people cool off at a fountain in front of the Eiffel Tower during the heatwave in Paris.
Thursday, 25 June 2026

New records

Record-breaking heatwave in Europe
All weather news
This might also interest you
A frozen start to the weekend. Icy conditions. . . Friday, 13 February 2026
UK temperature map dated 14.02 showing widespread subzero values in blue shading, with readings such as −4 in Glasgow, −3 in Dublin, and −2 in London, alongside a blue thermometer icon.
Friday, 13 February 2026

Icy conditions

A frozen start to the weekend
Bright and warm conditions take hold. Spring-like outlook. . . Thursday, 23 April 2026
Split UK map showing warm temperatures up to 21 degrees in orange on the left and clear sunny conditions with temperatures from 12 to 18 degrees on the right, with sun icons across the country.
Thursday, 23 April 2026

Spring-like outlook

Bright and warm conditions take hold
Storm Benjamin impacts the UK. Warnings active. . . Wednesday, 22 October 2025
Split weather map showing UK wind speeds in orange-red shades up to 40 mph on the left and warning levels in green-yellow on the right, with a central wind warning sign.
Wednesday, 22 October 2025

Warnings active

Storm Benjamin impacts the UK
All articles
Weather & Radar

Weather & Radar is also available on

Google Play StoreApp Store

Company

Contact us Privacy Policy Legal info Accessibility statement

Services

Uploader

Socials

facebooktwittertikToklinkList