Brits have been warned to expect severe gales and heavy rain in parts of the country before a -7C Arctic freeze in early February.
A cold snap in January has seen frosty starts and near zero temperatures during the day but the mercury is set to briefly rise in the coming days with milder conditions.
There is a north-south split, though, with brighter skies for the south and severe gales and heavy rain predicted for Scotland on Wednesday night and heading into Thursday.
