10 die, thousands stranded as arctic storms blast Britain

LONDON -- A seven-year-old girl died in Looe, Cornwall in South West England when a car careered off the road into a house as arctic storms swept Britain Thursday, bringing the death toll to 10.

The Met Office Red has issued England's first ever extreme category danger to life red alert and warned there was a risk more people could die as the so-called Beast from the East clashed with Storm Emma sweeping in from the Atlantic.

The red alert extended to south Wales where people had planned celebrations to mark St David's Day, the national day of Wales.

The public were warned to avoid all but essential travel on a third day of sub-zero temperatures and blizzard-like conditions.

Parts of Britain were warned to brace themselves for up to 50 centimeters of snow as Storm Emma threatened worsening weather conditions on top of storms that have already battered Britain for several days.

Health chiefs warned the extreme cold weather could lead to a rise in heart attacks.

Airports were forced to close with hundreds of flights cancelled, trains were cancelled, schools closed and motorways blocked as snow storms battered many parts of the British Isles.

In London Network Rail closed busy Paddington Station for several hours, hitting the Heathrow Express and Heathrow Connect services to Britain's busiest airport.

Britain's main gas suppliers, the National Grid, warned that supplies of gas may run low, effecting industry.

Troops were drafted into some areas to help police handle the impact of the storms.

A 75-year-old woman was found dead in a snow covered street in Leeds, partially hidden beneath a car in the Farsley area of the city.

In Scotland hundreds of drivers were stranded in freezing overnight as 30 centimeters of snow made roads became impassable. Around 1,000 motorists were stuck on the M80 near Glasgow for up to 13 hours. Many spent the night in their cars while others abandoned their vehicles on the motorway.

In Darlington on England's north east coast a mom-to-be and her husband were stranded at the roadside as they headed to hospital.

Andrew Waring was driving wife Daniella to hospital along the A66 road when he pulled over after his wife went into labor. He helped to deliver the baby in his car. Paramedics whisked the happy mom and baby Sienna to hospital where last night both were doing well.

The Met Office warned of heavy snow and blizzard conditions, accompanied by very strong easterly winds, leading to severe drifting.

To add to the misery the Environment Agency issued five flood warnings Thursday night, urging the public to take immediate action. There were two flood warnings in Cornwall, Britain's most westerly county directing facing the Atlantic Ocean, with another flood warning in Dorset, and others in northeast England which faces the stormy North Sea.

The agency issued a further 16 flood alerts covering the southwest and nort east, telling people to be prepared for high tides crashing over sea defences.

Met Office weather forecaster Simon Partridge warned the public: "If you don't have to go anywhere over the next few days, stay at home."