Photos: Red warning in UK as Beast from the East meets Storm Emma

Since last Friday, Europe has been locked in a Siberian weather pattern that has pummeled the continent with snow, freezing rain and brutal wind chills, paralyzing cities and killing atleast 50. The weather system nicknamed the “Beast from the East” has now combined with Storm Emma to create some of the most testing weather experienced in the UK for years.

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A man runs through snow with his husky dog at the Phoenix Park in Dublin, Ireland. Blizzards, strong winds, drifting snow and bitter cold have caused death and disruption as the weather system nicknamed the “Beast from the East” combined with Storm Emma to create some of the most testing weather experienced in the UK for years. (Clodagh Kilcoyne / REUTERS)

UPDATED ON MAR 02, 2018 02:07 PM IST

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Waves lash the coast at Collioure in southern France. Since last Friday, Europe has been locked in a Siberian weather pattern that has pummeled the continent with snow, freezing rain and brutal wind chills, paralysing cities. (Raymond Roig / AFP)

UPDATED ON MAR 02, 2018 02:07 PM IST

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Britain's Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson arrives in Downing Street, London. The Met Office issued a red warning – its most severe alert – on Thursday as temperatures plunged and up to 50cm (20in) of snow fell on high ground. Forecasters said the harsh conditions could continue in some places into next week. (Simon Dawson / REUTERS)

UPDATED ON MAR 02, 2018 02:07 PM IST

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A woman walks down Whitehall as snow falls in London. Most schools across Britain and Ireland are closed, as were many businesses. (Daniel Leal Olivas / AFP)

UPDATED ON MAR 02, 2018 02:07 PM IST

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Adding to the problems in Britain, a storm system heading up from the south is colliding with the Siberian air mass, bringing as much as 2 feet of drifting snow amid blizzard conditions. (AFP)

UPDATED ON MAR 02, 2018 02:07 PM IST

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A plough removes snow next to EasyJet and Lufhansa aircraft during a temporary closure at Cointrin airport in Geneva, Switzerland. Nearly all train operators warned of cancellations and disruption and hundreds of flights were cancelled. (Pierre Albouy / REUTERS)

UPDATED ON MAR 02, 2018 02:07 PM IST

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Snow covers tribune seats at the Circuit de Catalunya in Montmelo, on the outskirts of Barcelona.The death toll Europe-wide continued to climb to more than 50, as another three people perished in Poland, taking the number of victims there to 21, most of them rough sleepers. (Josep Lago / AFP)

UPDATED ON MAR 02, 2018 02:07 PM IST

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A man walks during a blizzard in central London as temperatures remain below freezing point. The weather in Britain and northwestern Europe is to some extent a mirror image of the “sudden stratospheric warming” in the arctic, experts say, referring to a disturbance in the polar jet stream that has alarmed scientists. (Tolga Akmen / AFP)

UPDATED ON MAR 02, 2018 02:07 PM IST

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On Thursday, thousands of drivers, who ignored warnings not to go out, or had no option but to brave the snow and ice, were left stranded on roads across the UK in freezing temperatures. (Owen Humphreys / AP)

UPDATED ON MAR 02, 2018 02:07 PM IST

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There was joy for tens of thousands of children who had an unexpected day off school and took to the slopes on sledges. (Andy Buchanan / AFP)

UPDATED ON MAR 02, 2018 02:07 PM IST

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Persistent snow and freezing conditions caused delays in many parts of Britain, with roads and train service hit particularly hard. Emergency officials said many drivers had to be rescued from stranded vehicles. (Niall Carson / AP)

UPDATED ON MAR 02, 2018 02:07 PM IST

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An aerial view of snow-covered sailing ships mooring at the boatyard harbour of Kirchdorf on the Baltic Sea island of Poel, northeastern Germany. The weather is costing the UK millions. The Automobile Association estimated that there were 8,260 collisions on Britain’s roads from the snow chaos in just three days, with the insurance cost already above £10m. (Jens Büttner / AFP)

UPDATED ON MAR 02, 2018 02:07 PM IST

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A guardsman sits on duty in the snow at Horse Guards Parade in London. (Peter Nicholls / REUTERS)

UPDATED ON MAR 02, 2018 02:07 PM IST

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A woman shelters herself under a coloured umbrella as she walks in Florence, Italy. Meteorologists say that the cold spell could last for up to two weeks, and that even with temperatures expected to rise during the day next week, temperatures will most likely remain close to freezing at night. (Maurizio degl'Innocenti / AP)

UPDATED ON MAR 02, 2018 02:07 PM IST