Freezing weather costs UK economy £1bn a day
by Phillip Inman, Gwyn Topham and Adam Vaughan from on (#3H8YQ)
Financial impact of the 'beast from the east' and storm Emma worst since Christmas 2010
Gridlocked motorways, empty restaurants and idle diggers seen across Britain last week cost the economy at least 1bn a day and could halve GDP growth in the first three months of the year.
Analysts said the impact of the "beast from the east" sweeping in from Siberia and the arrival of Storm Emma hitting the south coast was likely to be the most costly weather event since 2010, when freezing temperatures and snow brought the economy to a standstill a week before Christmas.
Related: Beast from the East meets Storm Emma, causing UK's worst weather in years
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