Wild weather over the weekend that brought sub-zero temperatures, storms, flooding and widespread icy conditions looks set to continue into the early part of the week in some areas of the UK.
By Sunday evening there were 80 flood warnings in place for England and six flood alerts across Wales. The Met Office issued a yellow warning for ice and snow in Orkney and Shetland, while much of Wales saw ice and snow. Wet and snowy weather is forecast for much of the country into the middle of the week.
The warnings come as new government proposals could entitle homeowners in flood-hit areas to discounted insurance premiums if they install flood protection measures. Plans under consultation could also allow insured householders able to claim money to cover the damage and make their homes more resilient.
On Saturday, Chesil Beach on the Isle of Portland in Dorset was hit by storms that breached sea defences, leading the Environment Agency to issue a flood warning for the area and warn people to take care along beaches and coastal footpaths.
In Tewkesbury, Gloucestershire, a children’s playground was partly submerged, while in Henley-on-Thames in Oxfordshire, water rose up the tow path along the river.
This week, more snow is likely across northern England, parts of Wales and Scotland with up to 5cm of snow likely at lower levels and up to 10cm on higher ground.
After a cold but settled day on Monday, the Met Office is predicting a heavier band of rain to arrive overnight on Monday across a swathe of the UK from the south and west, said Met Office meteorologist Luke Miall.
“From Monday night into Tuesday, we’ve got a weather system coming up from the Atlantic, bringing heavy rain to southern and western parts of the UK,” he said. “As it bumps into that cold air for Northern Ireland, Scotland, northern England, and perhaps north Wales, these are the areas that are likely to see that rain turning quickly to snow.”
Travel across a large part of England and Wales north of the M4 corridor could be disrupted by snow and ice, including on trans-Pennine routes.
On Wednesday, the wintry weather is expected to move up the country, with the risk of snow across Scotland and northern England, he said.
“Some areas could actually see a couple of days of snow falling, not necessarily all the time,” he said.
