A heartbreaking picture shows an NHS worker on a 3.5-mile walk home in the 90mph winds after a mammoth 13-hour night shift.
Laura Witham, a radiographer, was stranded at Ipswich Hospital because ‘the roads were impassable’ this morning due to the extreme weather.
Her boyfriend, James Pawsey, 33, posted the image on Twitter last night, showing her wrapped from head-to-toe crossing a snow-covered bridge.
In an interview this morning, he admitted that he usually picks her up from work – but couldn’t because his car was stuck in ‘masses of snow’.
It comes as scores of determined doctors, nurses and other medics have battled the 90mph winds and freezing temperatures to make it into work today.
Storm Emma, rolling in from the Atlantic, is meeting the Beast from the East’s chilly Russia air – causing widespread snowfall and bitter temperatures.
Police forces and travel companies have already urged Brits to stay indoors as the death toll rose to ten and stranded cars have built up overnight.
Laura Witham, a radiographer, was stranded at Ipswich Hospital because ‘the roads were impassable’ this morning due to the extreme weather
Mr Pawsey told The Daily Mirror: ‘When she’s on nights, I usually pick her up when I wake up in the morning, but couldn’t get the car out at all.
‘It was stuck in masses of snow. All I could do was make her a hot chocolate when she got home.
‘After work, she waited for a bus for a while, but we both realised none were running, so she had to walk for nearly two hours.’
Mr Pawsey, a trainee physician associate at the same hospital, revealed he had been texting Miss Witham throughout her journey.
He could see her crossing the bridge from their balcony. His original tweet has since amassed more than 1,100 ‘likes’ on Twitter.
Scores of strangers responded to the post, labelling Miss Witham a ‘superhero’ and saying ‘these are the people we should be giving a knighthood to’.
Her boyfriend, James Pawsey, 33, posted the image on Twitter, showing her wrapped from head-to-toe crossing a snow-covered bridge
In an interview this morning, he admitted that he usually picks her up from work – but couldn’t because his car was stuck in ‘masses of snow’ (pictured together)
Some NHS workers have slept in their surgeries, others walked for four hours to get to work and one doctor reportedly used skis to get there.
The heroics, alongside that of the police forces, caregivers and soldiers, promoted a thank you from Prime Minister Theresa May.
She said: ‘In the current bad weather, I want to say thank you to everyone going the extra mile to keep our country moving – and to keep us safe.
‘Thank you to NHS staff and care workers, the police and the armed forces, and all those working to keep our vital public services going’ – PM
Hospitals have declared emergencies and at least 9,000 homes have lost power – with forecasters warning the country ‘is not out of the woods yet’.
A woman slips while carrying shopping in the snow this morning on Main Street in Alexandria, West Dumbartonshire
Motorists dig out a car which drove into a snow drift blocking a road in Teesdale, County Durham, this morning
This car is going nowhere in Tower Hamlets, East London, after being turned into a block of ice by a burst water pipe
But the extreme weather, which has seen the Army drafted in to help rescue those left trapped in their cars, hasn’t put medics off going to work.
Pulse magazine has also revealed the extreme lengths some doctors have resorted to in order to get to work this morning.
Dr Zoe Norris, a GP in Hull, said: ‘Colleague of mine drove half way to his locum booking and skied the rest of the way!
‘He got sent home again as no one else could get to the surgery so they were closing.’
She added: ‘Another colleague got up at 5.30am to walk to his car that he had to abandon yesterday, and try to dig it out so he could get to his booking.
‘By 6.30 he had to admit defeat and walk home again but I’m impressed he tried!’
An unnamed GP in Essex told Pulse: ‘No buses this morning. One of our receptionists walked in. It took her 4.25 hours. That is what I call dedication.
‘I also heard about local practice manager who has spent two nights in her health centre as too difficult to get home.’
‘Cocktail of weather events’ for Britain as Storm Emma meets the Beast from the East
The severe conditions hitting Britain today has been described by the Met Office as a ‘cocktail of weather events’.
The cold spell dubbed the ‘the Beast from the East’, has been caused by a jump in temperatures high over the Arctic known by meteorologists as sudden stratospheric warming.
This has weakened the jet stream that brings warm air in from the Atlantic to Ireland and Britain.
This means the country is getting a strong easterly flow of very dry, cold continental originating over in Siberia.
Meanwhile another weather system coming up from Portugal and France, Storm Emma, is bringing blizzards, gales and sleet.
The storm has moved north through Europe, and is hitting Britain today, bringing 60mph winds and up to 1ft 8in of snow.
The Met Office now expects England and Wales to possibly see its coldest spell of weather since 1991.
The UK normally experiences a polar continental air mass when pressure is high over Scandinavia.
In winter cold air is drawn in from the Eurasian landmass, bringing the cold weather from the ‘Beast from the East’.
The length of sea track during the air’s passage from Europe to Britain will determine its characteristics.
A short sea track over the English Channel will bring clear skies and severe frost, plus the cold and dry air.
But a longer track over the North Sea makes the air unstable and moisture is added – potentially bringing rain and snow.
Surface temperatures below freezing will make any snow drier because it contains less water. But wet snow comes from slightly warmer and moist air, which joins snowflakes together.
The Arctic is experiencing one of its hottest winters on record, with temperatures at the North Pole surging.
These unusual conditions, which scientists say have ‘never been this extreme’, are causing a disruption to the Arctic polar jet stream.
And a separate video posted on Twitter shows a pharmacist braving the blizzards to ensure deliveries are given to patients in need.
It shows Nicky, who works at Strachan’s Chemist in Uppermill, Greater Manchester, holding two bags of deliveries.
It comes after NHS bosses yesterday warned a ‘perfect storm’ of -16°C blizzards, norovirus and flu was piling pressure on over-stretched hospitals.
Performance statistics showed sub-zero temperatures, icy blasts and blizzard-like conditions hit A&E departments across the country hard last week.
Bed occupancies remain worryingly high and show no sign of falling to safe levels amid the ‘worst winter ever’, with more cold weather expected.
Dr Nick Scriven, president of the Society for Acute Medicine, said the severe weather is an added burden on top of the recent ‘usual’ winter.
He warned dozens of hospitals are likely to be forced to cancel routine procedures, while the NHS said children, the elderly and those with chronic illnesses are at risk of the cold weather.
Dr Scriven added: ‘Today and the next few days will particularly stretch trusts, with staff struggling to get to work and ambulance trusts having immense problems getting patients to and from hospital.
‘A lot of hospitals will cancel routine work over the next few days as a consequence of both of these.’
South West England has been particularly badly hit after facing an unprecedented Met Office red warning for snow.
Royal Devon and Exeter NHS Foundation Trust has declared an ‘internal critical incident’.
Officials at the trust have postponed all outpatient and planned routine surgery and diagnostic appointments.
All available staff have been prioritised to work in emergency services as they paid to tribute to their ‘outstanding’ team.
And the military has been drafted to help hospitals and medics in the Midlands and West Country.
Devon and Cornwall NHS and Shropshire NHS trusts have both asked for assistance, which began at 6am today.
The Army has sent 10 4×4 vehicles and 20 troops to Shropshire while the Royal Marines have deployed the same resources in Devon and Cornwall.
The military has also been brought in to assist clearing traffic from the M62 in Greater Manchester as the motorway remains closed from junction 20 at Rochdale to junction 24 at Huddersfield.
An Ministry of Defence spokesman said: ‘The MoD helps in cases of extreme weather when we receive a request from our civilian authority colleagues.
‘There are three UK standby battalions held at high readiness to respond to UK contingencies and emergencies, including support to local authorities.
‘We have the right people with the right training to respond to a range of contingencies.’
Cars buried in snow in Naas County Kildare, as the severe weather conditions continue today in the Republic of Ireland