Battling the Beast from the East: undaunted Marines and Royal Navy brave weather for training as RAF delivers aid to the vulnerable

RFA Tidespring of the British Royal Fleet Auxiliary battles the Beast from the East
EPA/Ministry of Defence
Fiona Simpson5 March 2018

The Royal Marines and Royal Navy put on an impressive display of British resilience today as Storm Emma held the UK in its icy grip.

Resupply ship RFA Tidespring appeared in stunning images ploughing through icy seas as it battled the Siberian Blast to dock in Devon.

The vessel appears to be thrown from side to side gripped by the freezing conditions and thunderous waves as the Beast from the East battered the UK with heavy snow showers.

Footprints can be seen in the snow on the deck of the ship as temperatures plummeted as low as minus 10C.

Marines battle icy conditions in Plymouth
Royal Marines

The Royal Fleet Auxillary Tidespring is part of the fleet which will aid the UK’s biggest warship HMS Queen Elizabeth which was safely docked in Portsmouth before cold weather hit.

Unfazed by the Arctic conditions faced by officers, The Navy shared the powerful snap on Twitter on Wednesday with the caption: “This is what the #TheBeastFromTheEast looks like if you’re sailing into the teeth of it.

UK Weather: Beast from the East freeze - In pictures

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"This was taken on the bridge of brand-new tanker RFA Tidespring #snowday”

Royal Marines also braved freezing seas as Surveillance and Assault Squadrons battled through blizzard conditions to reach snow-covered cliffs in Portsmouth.

Commandos with their faces protected from the Arctic chill were snapped ploughing through frozen seas in open vessels and lifeboats.

Armed Marines from 30 Commando IX Group were pictured scrambling over snowy crags as part of a training exercise.

Marines appear undaunted by plunging temperatures as the Beast from the East sets in
Royal Marines

Frost covered Marines shared a Baltic-looking selfie as the UK faced its coldest week in seven years.

A spokesman for the Royal Marines said: “The blizzard conditions are perfect for infiltration and extraction – so the assault squadron took their Offshore and Inshore Raiding Craft out in the snowstorm with the recce squad from 30 Commando IX Group to practise cliff assaults just down the coast from their home in Plymouth.

Commandos scramble up icy crags in Plymouth
Royal Marines

“Once ashore the reconnaissance teams scaled the challenging rock face with specialist climbing equipment.

“Any weather, any environment, it’s all part of being a commando.”

At Glasgow Airport, British Red Cross workers provided blankets for stranded travellers, and Royal Air Force drivers from No 2 Mechanical Transport Squadron based at RAF Wittering in Peterborough were helping emergency services in Lincolnshire deliver aid today.

The Met Office has issued a red alert for snow as Storm Emma swept the country bringing freezing gales and blizzard conditions.

The National Grid has also issued a “gas deficit” warning sparking fears that supplies could run empty.

Some areas were expected to see freezing rain on Thursday night. Commuters were warned of long delays and cancellations of public transport.

Forecasters said roads in the south west are likely to become blocked by deep snow, stranding vehicles and passengers.

There were also warnings of power, gas and water outages and danger from falling trees and other structures due to snow and ice.

Temperatures plunged to a widespread low of between -6C and -4C overnight, and forecasters have warned it could feel as cold as -11C during the day as the winds continue to strengthen.

London is expected to be hit with further heavy snow this morning as Storm Emma, rolling in from the Atlantic, meets the Beast from the East's chilly Russia air.

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