Beast from the east - natural hazards

• Causes:

  Change to the northern polar jet stream

  Cold air picked up moisture over the north sea = snow

  East coast had lots of snow

  Storm Emma moved in from the south east causing more snow
• Social Impacts:

  10 deaths

  Burst/frozen water pipes

  Worried the UK could run out of gas
• Management:

  Greggs gave out free food to stranded drivers

  Mountain rescue took nurses to rural elderly homes

  Met office issued a red weather warning

  The army transported 200 NHS staff to/from hospitals
• Economic impacts:

  British airways cancelled flights People unable to travel to work 125 schools in north Yorkshire were closed
• Environmental impacts:

  Damaged crops Increased use of coal/gas Destroyed habitats Temperatures fell to 12°
• From Syberia, Russia in the February 2018