Forecasters have warned of a “potent mix of wintery hazards” in the final week before Christmas, as the icy blast of Arctic air which has covered the UK in ice and snow gives way to warmer temperatures and downpours of up to 150mm.
Weather alerts have been issued across much of the country, with the majority of England’s southernmost counties and parts of south Wales warned of heavy and persistent rain, which will pose a risk of flooding and travel disruption until at least Tuesday morning.
