Londoners were warned to brace for a week-long cold snap starting on Monday as the capital was hit with heavy rain overnight.
Icy winds and sub-zero temperatures are forecast for city while other parts of the UK experience floods and snow, the Met Office has said.
The Met Office had issued a snow warning for London for Monday morning but the persistant rain that was falling on the capital did not turn wintry.
However there is a chance that heavy rain will turn into snow in parts of the South East including Brighton and Canterbury on Monday morning.
Current radar generally for London a lot of cold rain, the city’s urban heat island not overcome. That’s what happens when cold doesn’t establish beforehand, with system clearing east it digs in. Few more hours of snow for Kent/Essex pushing E now. Heavy in places & accumulating. pic.twitter.com/YaDBOaqU2A
— London & Southeast ⛄️ ❄️ (@TheSnowDreamer) January 16, 2023
A yellow snow warning has been issued for the area until 8am, with possible travel disruption.
An ice warning has been issued for most of northern England, including Nottingham, Liverpool and Hull, which is expected to last until 10am on Monday. A snow and ice warning has been issued until Wednesday morning for Scotland.
In London heavy and persistant rain will die out later on Monday, with a high of 5C expected at lunchtime before it dips to -2C overnight with a sharp frost expected, as well as a risk of icy patches.
The cold temperatures are forecast to continue until Sunday, with a high of 3C on Tuesday and 5C on Wednesday and Thursday, the Met Office said. Sunshine is expected on Tuesday and Thursday in anotherwise cloudly week.
Milder air is set to move in from the Atlantic bringing wet and windy conditions back to the UK towards the end of the week.
“It will turn colder with a northerly airflow bringing wintery hazards,” said Met Office spokesman Grahame Madge.
“It is nothing extreme for January…This is more of a reminder that it is winter but it is not a Beast from the East scenario,” he said about the 2018 storm which wreaked havoc in the UK.
“January has been mild and exceptionally mild for some areas.”
Mr Madge said the “strong northerly airflow” in the middle of the week will “make it feel cooler than it already is”.
Scotland is set for snow and ice while much of the north will see ice. On Monday, these warnings will remain in place while there is also a chance of snow in the south and south west, but not in London - which is consistently warmer and flatter than surrounding southern areas.
Overnight frost will become more widespread by Monday night, with overnight temperatures below zero across much of the UK. Temperatures could get down to -10C in sheltered glens, or across high ground areas of Scotland where there is lying snow.
On Tuesday and Wednesday, only Scotland has a warning for snow and ice in place.
Residents are urged to take care as there may be some icy patches on some untreated roads, pavements and cycle paths and some roads and railways are likely to be affected with longer journey times by road, bus and train services.
