UK isn’t the only continent facing freezing conditions this weekend – the US is also braced for a major winter storm, which is expected to affect millions across the centre and east of the country.
Heavy snow and significant ice hit today and the storm is set to move eastwards over the next few days, according to the National Weather Service.
By Saturday evening, widespread heavy snow is likely in areas between central Kansas and Indiana, with a high chance of at least 20cm of snow in some areas, meteorologists said.
Snow has already hit some areas, including Pennsylvania.
The storm will then move across Ohio, where travel disruptions are expected. It will reach the mid-Atlantic states on Sunday and into Monday morning.
Experts say there could be wind gusts higher than 35 mph and heavy rates of snowfall could lead to blizzard conditions, particularly in Kansas on Sunday morning.
Dangerous sleet and freezing rain – which can be particularly harmful to power lines – is also expected to start today from eastern Kansas to Missouri, Illinois, Indiana and much of Kentucky and West Virginia.
“This could lead to the coldest January for the US since 2011,” said Dan DePodwin, AccuWeather director of forecast operations.
Danny Barandiaran, a meteorologist at the National Weather Service’s Climate Prediction Center, said that even Florida is expected to freeze.
“The wind chills are going to be brutal,” said Woodwell Climate Research Institute climate scientist Jennifer Francis.
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