The “Beast from the East” was a major cold wave and severe winter weather event that affected the UK, Ireland, and much of continental Europe in late February and early March 2018.

It is also known by the official meteorological designation Anticyclone Hartmut. The nickname “Beast from the East” (used by media and the public) referred to the bitterly cold easterly/northeasterly winds that transported Arctic and Siberian air masses across Europe.

Causes

The event was triggered by a Sudden Stratospheric Warming (SSW) in the Arctic around 10-12 February 2018. This disrupted the polar vortex, leading to a high- pressure blocking anticyclone over Scandinavia. The resulting flow pattern reversed the usual mild westerly winds, drawing in very cold continental air from Siberia and Russia.

As this cold, dry air moved over the relatively warmer North Sea, it produced widespread lake- effect (or sea-effect) snow showers, especially across eastern and northern parts of the UK and Ireland.

Around 1- 2 March, it collided with Storm Emma (a low- pressure system moving north from the Atlantic/continent), intensifying snowfall, winds, and disruption, particularly in southern and western areas.

Impacts

• Temperatures: Widely sub- zero by day; overnight lows around –10°C to –12°C in rural UK areas (feels- like temperatures lower due to strong winds). Some of the coldest late- February and early- March conditions in decades. A record low March maximum of –4.7°C was set in parts of Wales.
• Snow: Widespread accumulations of 5- 20 cm, with 40- 50 and more cm in higher or exposed areas (e.g., parts of Scotland, northern England, south Wales, and southwest England). Blizzards and deep drifts occurred in places.
• Disruption: Hundreds of schools closed; major travel chaos on roads, rail (some trains stranded for hours), and airports (flights cancelled); power cuts; some communities isolated.
• Water supplies: Rapid thaw after the freeze caused widespread pipe bursts; over 200,000 customers in England and Wales lost supply for more than four hours (tens of thousands for longer).
• Casualties: At least 10- 17 weather- related deaths in the UK (including road accidents, falls, and exposure); dozens more across Europe (especially Poland and other eastern and central countries).
• Economic: Significant costs (estimates around £1 billion and more in the UK); impacts on retail, deliveries, energy demand, and construction.

A weaker follow- up cold spell around 17- 18 March was nicknamed the “Mini Beast from the East”.

The event highlighted vulnerabilities in infrastructure (especially water networks after the thaw) and linked extreme mid- latitude cold outbreaks to polar vortex disruptions, which some researchers connect to broader Arctic changes. It remains one of the most memorable UK winter weather events of recent decades.

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Here’s a clear comparison of the 2018 “Beast from the East” with the main comparable 2021 event and the situation in 2024.

Overview of the Events

Aspect	2018 (Beast from the East / Anticyclone Hartmut)	2021 (Storm Darcy / “Beast from the East 2”)	2024
Dates	Late February – early March (main phase ~24 Feb–4 and 5 Mar; mini follow- up mid- March)	7- 13 February (peak around 7- 11 Feb)	No single major equivalent event. Notable cold and snow periods in January and especially mid- late November
Primary Cause	Major Sudden Stratospheric Warming (SSW) disrupting the polar vortex → strong high pressure over Scandinavia → Siberian and Arctic easterly flow. Combined with Storm Emma	Easterly flow of cold air from eastern Europe (Ukraine and Black Sea region) and Storm Darcy (named by Dutch Met Service). Linked to an earlier SSW but air mass not as extreme	Various cold snaps (Arctic and continental air at times). Media often speculated about SSW-driven “Beast” returns, but none fully developed into a major prolonged easterly outbreak
Air Mass	Very cold polar continental (Siberian origin); one of the coldest late- winter outbreaks in recent decades	Cold easterly, but milder and origin slightly less extreme than 2018 (Met Office noted it was not as bitingly cold)	Variable; some Arctic outbreaks but generally less sustained extreme continental cold
Temperatures	Widely sub- zero by day; overnight lows often –10°C to –12°C or lower (feels- like much colder with wind). Some March records set	Daytime near or below freezing in many areas; overnight extremes to –23°C at Braemar (UK’s lowest since 1995). Eastern Scotland –10°C to –15°C+	January: lows around –14°C in Scotland (coldest January night since 2019 in places). November: significant cold (e.g., –12.6°C, coldest November night in ~15 years in some spots)
Snowfall	Widespread 5–20 cm; 40–50 and more cm (locally higher) in higher/exposed areas (Scotland, N England, S Wales, SW England). Blizzards and drifts	Significant in eastern and SE England (10- 20 and more cm) and eastern Scotland (20- 38 cm at places like Aboyne). More regionally focused	November 2024: notable event with 8–15 cm in Midlands, up to ~28 cm in places (e.g., Loch Glascarnoch or Crymych); described as most significant November snow since 2010. January had more limited accumulations
Disruption & Impacts	Nationwide: schools closed, major road, rail and airport chaos (trains stranded for hours), power cuts, communities isolated. Post- thaw water supply failures (200,000 and more affected). ~10- 17 UK deaths; dozens more across Europe. Economic cost ~£1bn and more.	Significant but more regional (especially east and SE England and Scotland): roads closed, travel disruption, some school and COVID vaccine centre closures, power cuts in places. Fewer fatalities reported; less prolonged national chaos	Localized and moderate disruption from snow and ice (schools closed in places, travel issues), but nowhere near 2018 scale. No widespread “Beast”- level infrastructure crisis
Duration & Intensity	Longest and most intense of the three, multi- week cold with two phases	About a week of severe conditions; coldest spell since 2018 but shorter and less extreme overall	No comparable multi-day national freeze and more heavy snow event

Key Takeaways

• 2018 remains the standout event, the original and most severe “Beast from the East”. It combined extreme cold from a true Siberian air mass, widespread heavy snow (enhanced by sea- effect showers and Storm Emma), and major nationwide impacts including infrastructure failures after the thaw.
• 2021 was a genuine “Beast from the East 2” (media and some forecasters used the name). It produced the coldest conditions since 2018 (with a notable absolute low temperature record for the period) and disruptive snow, especially in the east. However, the air mass was not quite as cold, the event was shorter, and impacts were more regional rather than nationwide.
• 2024 had no true equivalent. Cold snaps and snow occurred (notably a significant November event), and media frequently hyped potential “Beast from the East” returns based on forecast charts and possible SSW activity. None matched the intensity, duration, or disruption of 2018 or even 2021. The term is often applied loosely by the media to any cold easterly spell.

In short: 2018 > 2021 >> 2024 in terms of severity and national impact for these types of easterly cold outbreaks.

The Met Office and meteorologists generally reserve strong “Beast from the East” comparisons for events involving prolonged polar continental air with significant snow and sub- zero conditions across large parts of the UK.