Storm systems that wreaked havoc on two continents are COMBINING

• Incredible satellite imagery shows the monster storms swirling 'arm-in-arm' across the Atlantic
• The Stateside storm, the latest of many this bitter winter, brought with it heavy snow, sleet and icy conditions that saw thousands of flights cancelled and left 21 people dead, mostly from car crashes
• Meanwhile, on the other side of the Atlantic, Friday's storm caused heavy rain and winds up to 80 mph in Britain's southern counties, aggravating areas already flooded following the wettest January since records began in 1776

Devastating storms that have dumped as much as 40 inches of snow on parts of the United States and caused widespread flooding in the UK are combining over the Atlantic, weather experts have revealed.

Incredible satellite imagery from NASA's Worldview shows the monster storms swirling 'arm-in-arm' across the ocean.

The storms in the US have left 21 people dead and caused thousands of flights to be cancelled, bringing the east coast to a standstill.

Meanwhile, in Britain, heavy rain and winds up to 80 mph devastated parts of the south, aggravating areas already flooded after the wettest January since records began in 1776.

Holding hands: A storm that dumped heavy snow and ice across the east coast of the United States this week is the very same weather system that battered southern parts of the UK on Friday, meteorologists have revealed in incredible satellite imagery

Floods have drenched the low-lying Somerset Levels in the south west and the Thames Valley west of London, where hundreds of properties have been swamped after the River Thames burst its banks.

The situation is also set to get worse as torrential downpours forecast for this weekend could see rivers reaching dangerously high levels.

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The Thames Barrier, a structure made of 10 steel gates each weighing 3,300 tonnes that shields central London from tidal flooding, prevented widespread damage in the capital after the downpour.

This winter's rains saw the Thames record some of its highest levels for 60 years.

Royals to the rescue: On Friday, Prince William and Prince Harry helped flood-hit Brions protect their homes, unloading sandbags alongside soldiers in the village of Datchet in Berkshire, England

On Wednesday, the UK Met Office, the country's weather service, issued a report that linked this winter's extreme weather to global warming.

The Atlantic storm system brought another bout of gale-force winds to Britain on Friday, with large waves battering coast lines and up to 1.6 inches of rain causing flood levels to rise.

As winds gusted at up to 80 mph, landslips and fallen trees caused havoc on the rail network, and some arriving flights were diverted from London's Heathrow to other airports amid fierce bouts of wind.

Motorists were also advised not to travel on the roads this weekend as families tried to escape the south during the half-term school break.

Peter Willison of the Environment Agency said Friday's rainfall would send waters on the Thames and other rivers even higher, flooding hundreds more properties.

UK authorities have asked Sweden and the Netherlands for additional flood defenses as teams work to remove blockages from rivers and deploying sandbags.

On Friday, Prince William and Prince Harry helped flood-hit Brions protect their homes, unloading sandbags alongside soldiers in the village of Datchet in Berkshire.

Meanwhile, the US is bracing for more snow in the Northeast between Saturday afternoon and Sunday morning, ruining the plans of people looking to take advantage of the President's Day weekend.

The relentless snow and ice storms battering the US this winter have led to the highest number of flight cancellations in more than 25 years, according to an analysis by The Associated Press.

U.S. airlines have canceled more than 75,000 domestic flights since December 1, including more than 14,000 this week. DailyMail