Farmers fear that thousands of sheep and cattle have died in the thick snow that has hit the UK in recent days – buried alive in Wales, Northern England, Scotland and Northern Ireland.
The late snow fell during lambing season, a key time for farmers, making the situation worse. Many arable farmers are affected too.
Daniel Creer, 24, a sheep farmer in the Isle of Man, is trying to rescue some of his five thousand sheep from drifts nearly four meters (13 feet) high.
“The amount of lambs lost all through the UK does not bear thinking about,” said Creer.
The National Farmers’ Union says some people risk losing an entire year’s income due to the unusually cold weather.
The recent snowfall in the Isle of Man has been the heaviest recorded since 1963.
The cold weather has also hit farmers particularly hard in Wales, Cumbria and southern Scotland.
Hundreds of homes are still without power across Northern Ireland, Cumbria and Scotland – with many roads still blocked.
5 metre snowdrifts in the countryside!
“We have 5 metre (16 ft) snowdrifts in the countryside!” says John McC, who wrote to me from Ireland.
Forecasters say the cold weather is due to continue.
See:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/newsbeat/21945492
See video:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-21936873
Thanks to Dean Koehler, Cardigan Island and Dierdre for these links