Temperatures are set to surge on Monday but heavy rain could lead to flooding and travel disruption in parts of England and Wales.
Monday could bring highs of 14ºC or 15ºC in south-west England and northern Wales, after freezing conditions in recent days, a Met Office meteorologist said.
It comes after minus 17.3ºC was in recorded Braemar in Scotland on Tuesday — the coldest temperature since February 11, 2021 — while other places around the country experienced lows of between minus 10ºC and minus 15ºC in recent days.
The forecasting service has issued yellow weather warnings for rain across southern parts of England and southern Wales from 6pm on Sunday to 6am on Tuesday.
It said heavy rain could flood some roads, homes and businesses, and cause travel disruption.
“It’s also worth bearing in mind that, preceding this obviously it was so cold, so the grounds were a bit frozen, drains may have been frozen in places,” said Met Office meteorologist Alex Burkill.
“As a result, their ability to cope with the rainfall may have been reduced, so that’s why we could see some greater impacts, which is why the warning was issued.
Snow blankets the UK, with more wintry weather to come - in pictures
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Snow has fallen across the UK. Trees and boats blanketed in Little Venice, London. AP -
Marine Park in South Shields, north-east England. PA -
A car stranded on the hard shoulder of the M25 motorway near Epping. Bloomberg -
A frozen lake in Richmond Park, south west London. AFP -
The Angel of the North in Gateshead. PA -
Mjukuu the gorilla snacks on a snowman's broccoli hair at London Zoo. PA -
A car abandoned after crashing on a roundabout in Ashford, Kent. PA -
Snow outside the Churchill Arms pub in west London. AP -
St Nicholas' Park in Warwick. AP -
A tractor clears snow from the runways at Manchester Airport. Reuters -
Hownsgill Viaduct in Durham. AP -
The town of Consett in County Durham. AP -
A frosty morning at Primrose Hill in north London. AFP -
More freezing weather at Primrose Hill. AFP -
Camden, north London. AP -
Cold temperatures, freezing fog and wintry showers are expected throughout the week. AP -
A park in south London. AP -
The snow forced airports to close and left drivers struggling to get through. AP
“The drastic change to something milder is going to be pretty widespread, perhaps south-west England, maybe even north Wales could get 14ºC or 15ºC.
"Elsewhere though, widely temperatures are going to be in the 12ºC to 13ºC bracket on Monday."
But Mr Burkill on Sunday said northern Scotland could see temperatures in the single figures on Monday.
“Monday night into Tuesday, for most it’s going to be a lot milder than it has been of late but we could still see a touch of frost, particularly in parts of Scotland," he said.
“And then Tuesday, I think it’s going to be a little bit colder again compared to Monday. So the really mild day, Monday, is a flash in the pan, if you will.
“I think we’re still looking at highs of 12ºC perhaps 13ºC towards the south coast.
"But away from that, as you head to more central parts and further north, we’re going to be in mid-to-high single figures at best, so quite a drop compared to Monday.
“The cold period lasted so long and was so extreme, that’s come to an end.
“But I think it’s fair to say the really mild weather we’ve got through tonight and into tomorrow is going to be very short-lived.
Cold weather in the UK – in pictures
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Snow covered fields and rooftops in Allenheads in the Pennines to the north of Weardale in Northumberland. More snow is forecasted to fall in the UK on Thursday. PA -
Daybreak on Thursday morning near Leyburn in Wensleydale, North Yorkshire. PA -
A frosty morning run in Wansted Park in London. PA -
A morning jogger passes the Diana Fountain in Bushy Park in south-west London after a night of low temperatures in Britain's capital. PA -
A skier on the slopes at Allenheads in the Pennines. PA -
The A1101 in Welney on the Cambridgeshire-Norfolk border, where the River Delph and New Bedford River flooded the surrounding area. PA -
New snow covers Beaufront Castle near Hexham in Northumberland. PA -
Waves break over the sea wall in strong winds at New Brighton. Reuters -
A young trials rider takes on a snowy incline near Castleside, County Durham. PA -
Snow covers a roundabout in Corbridge, near Hexham in Northumberland. PA -
A family take advantage of the weather to have some fun on sledges in Tow Law, County Durham. PA -
A man snowboarding at the volunteer ran Ski-Allenheads as the cold weather continues in Northumberland. Reuters -
Flooding near Faversham at high tide after Faversham Creek burst its bank. Getty Images
“Things have gone from well below average, tomorrow they go to quite a bit above average and then they return closer to average as we go through tomorrow night onwards.
“What I’m expecting in the run-up to and through Christmas weekend is for southern parts to have temperatures near normal, northern parts to be a little bit colder, and there will also be some changeable weather coming through.
"So with that you could quite easily get some wintry weather as we go towards Christmas, mainly towards the north."
A major incident was declared in Shetland after more than 5,000 homes lost power on Monday afternoon as heavy snow brought down lines.
But all properties were reconnected as of Sunday, Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks Distribution said.
Weather warnings issued in the UK - in pictures
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Waves crash on to the seafront in Blackpool. Storm Dudley hit the north of England and southern Scotland from Wednesday night into Thursday morning. PA -
A fallen tree on the road in Ross-on-Wye, near England's border with Wales, during Storm Dudley. PA -
Big waves hit the sea wall at Whitby in Yorkshire. Storm Eunice was expected to bring strong winds and the possibility of snow on Friday. PA -
An empty departure board at Glasgow Central Station before Storm Dudley hits. PA -
A man struggles against strong wind in Clontarf, Dublin, as Storm Dudley makes its way over Ireland. PA -
Weather warnings on a ticket machine at Glasgow Central Station. PA -
People take advantage of the winds and fly Kites on Scarborough beach in North Yorkshire. PA
