The snowy Siberian blast dubbed “The Beast from the East” is set to send temperatures plummeting down to -5°C in Stevenage and Biggleswade tonight, with a Met Office yellow weather warning in place.

The Comet: The scene out the window of the Comet building in Stevenage Old Town. Picture: JP AsherThe scene out the window of the Comet building in Stevenage Old Town. Picture: JP Asher (Image: Archant)

Temperatures have been as low as -4°C in daytime, with temperatures set to stay below freezing up to the weekend.

The Met Office snow warning is set to end for our area tonight, as the arctic blast moves west. It advises that heavy snow showers are expected, with the potential for travel delays on roads and the railways.

The warning states: “Some rural communities could become cut off. Power cuts may also occur and other services, such as mobile phones, may be affected.”

The Met Office says there’s a 40-per-cent chance of snow in the next hour in Stevenage, though this rises to a 70-per-cent chance from 1pm.

In Biggleswade, there is a 50-per-cent chance of snow from 2pm today, with this dropping as the afternoon goes on. In Baldock there’s a 60-per-cent chance between 2pm and 4pm.

In Hitchin, there is likely to be snow each day until Saturday morning. Letchworth and Sandy are set to come under a yellow warning for snow and ice again on Friday, and another yellow warning for ice the next day.

The Met Office has announced amber weather warnings for much of Scotland and northern and eastern England. There is a red weather warning – the most serious – in place today and tomorrow for Scottish cities including Edinburgh and Glasgow.