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A new "Beast from the East" could soon hit the UK as scientists warn Britain may experience one of its coldest winters in 30 years.

A freezing vortex of Artic air will dominate the UK in less than four months, bringing with it icy temperatures and snow which could last for weeks, scientists say.

Climate experts from University College London have analysed current sea temperatures and the system over the north Atlantic and predicted extreme weather will hit this winter.

Led by professor Mark Saunders, the team told The Sunday Times: "This would rank the 2020 January-February central England temperature as the coldest winter since 2013."

They added: "It would also rank January-February 2020 as the seventh coldest winter in the past 30 years.

"There is a 57 per cent chance the central England temperature will be colder than in 2018, thus making it the coldest January-February since 2013."

Last year, the Beast from the East saw temperatures drop to as low as -14C in the Cairngorms in Scotland.

UK Weather: Beast from the East freeze - In pictures 64 show all UK Weather: Beast from the East freeze - In pictures 1/64 Snow storm over London NPASLondon/Twitter 2/64 The frozen canal at Little Venice, London Jeremy Selwyn 3/64 A multi-car collision on the M66 NEAR Ramsbottom and Bury Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service (GMFRS) 4/64 Ice climbers at Kinder Downfall, High Peak in Derbyshire PA 5/64 RFA Tidespring battles powerful weather conditions sparked by the Beast from the East EPA/Ministry of Defence 6/64 Members of 1st Battalion Welsh Guards take part in a snow ball fight prior to the combined St David's Day celebration and pre-deployment service at Elizabeth Barracks, Pirbright, Surrey PA 7/64 A police car on fire on the M62 near Huddersfield. PA 8/64 Andrea Geile skies along Princes Street in Edinburgh PA 9/64 Heavy snowfall hits St Paul's Cathedral Zuma / Splash News 10/64 Storm clouds over Dublin Bay PA 11/64 Paddington Station today Jeremy Selwyn 12/64 The M876 to Glasgow is closed PA 13/64 A man walks in the snowy conditions in Larbert PA 14/64 Edinburgh Castle in the snow PA 15/64 Members of the public make their way through snow the streets in Alexandria, Scotland Getty Images 16/64 Jock the Shih Tzu plays in the snow Getty Images 17/64 Waterloo Station tracks covered in snow Jeremy Selwyn 18/64 A man clears snow in Alexandria, Scotland Getty Images 19/64 Snow-covered members of the public walk through heavy snow in Westminster Getty Images 20/64 A stranded car covered in snow in Whitley Bay in Tyne and Wear PA 21/64 Police push a car on the on the M80 Haggs in Glasgow PA 22/64 A blizzard hit Trafalgar Square 23/64 School children from Wearhead Primary School, in County Durham, which stands more than 1,100 feet (335m) above sea level and which remained open despite blizzards thanks to teachers battling through the elements and a parent with a digger PA 24/64 Snow continues to fall in Westminster Jeremy Selwyn 25/64 A man clears snow from a car in Larbert PA 26/64 Fabio Fodaro cycles during a blizzard at Helix Park in Falkirk PA 27/64 The scene on the M80 Haggs in Glasgow PA 28/64 Police push a car on the on the M80 Haggs in Glasgow PA 29/64 Huge crowds outside Oxford Circus Tube station @_kathyharvey 30/64 People walk in the snow on Horse Guards Parade Reuters 31/64 Whiteout: Londoners brave the snow in Piccadilly Circus Tony Villalon 32/64 Three-year-old Wilfred Martin, enjoys sledding in the snow in Richmond Park, Londo PA 33/64 Victor the polar bear enjoys the snow at the Yorkshire Wildlife Park in Doncaster PA 34/64 Giant waves crash over Seaham lighthouse near Durham as the "Beast from the East" brings heavy snow and freezing temperatures to much of the country PA 35/64 Spectacular sunrise over Canary Wharf James Burns/London from the Rooftops 36/64 Vehicles get stuck on a hill on the A30 near Land's End in Cornwall following heavy snow that made driving conditions difficult PA 37/64 Battersea looking beautiful in the snow Hatty Collier‏ 38/64 People walk their dogs on Blyth Beach in Northumberland PA 39/64 A swimmer braves the snowy conditions at King Edwards bay near Tynemouth PA 40/64 Frozen foutains at Trafalgar Square Jeremy Selwyn 41/64 Stationary traffic on the M20 near Ashford, Kent PA 42/64 Pedestrians cross Whitehall as snow falls AP 43/64 Pedestrians walk across millennium bridge in front of St Paul's as heavy snowfall hits London AFP/Getty Images 44/64 A snow-covered Tube train early today Londoners woke to wintry scenes Jeremy Selwyn 45/64 A lorry shed its load on the M20 overnight Kent Police RPU 46/64 Snow falls on Wimbledon Common Alex Lentati 47/64 A London bus travels through the snow in Oxford street EPA 48/64 Snow surrounds the Angel of the North in Gateshead PA 49/64 People walk past Buckingham Palac PA 50/64 People walk along Bankside, London in the snow PA 51/64 Snow at Horse guards in London Jeremy Selwyn 52/64 Rare snow seen at Brighton Beach James Mayes 53/64 Toby Stanton walks to school in Ashford, Kent, as heavy snowfall is affecting roads across the UK PA 54/64 Highways England/Twitter 55/64 Cars travel through Great Chart in Ashford, Kent PA 56/64 A Eurostar train passes through Ashford, Kent PA 57/64 Vehicles on the M20 between Junctions 8 and 9, as heavy snowfall is affecting roads across the UK PA 58/64 A double decker bus carefully makes it way through the snowfall in London Jeremy Selwyn 59/64 Cars drive through falling snow on the A41 in Hemel Hempstead Jeremy Selwyn 60/64 Parents walk their children to school in Ashford, Kent PA 61/64 Newcastle Quayside following heavy overnight snowfall PA 62/64 Walkers in the snow near to Another Place by Anthony Gormley, on Crosby Beech near LiverpooL PA 63/64 Fishing boats moored in Scarborough harbour PA 64/64 Commuters battle the snoiw across London Bridge Jeremy Selwyn

Nearly 60cm of snow fell in Gloucestershire while bitterly cold winds reached up to 70mph.

Sixteen people, including a seven-year-old girl, died as a result of the weather.