Met Office warns of SNOW and ice as temperatures plunge to freezing -5C in just days

THE Met Office is warning of snow and ice - with temperatures forecast to plunge to a freezing -5C in just days.

The national weather agency says there is a "risk of some sleet or snow showers feeding in on the east to southeasterly wind" from this weekend.

Its long-range forecast also adds a chance of Atlantic fronts "making inroads" from the west bringing "the possibility of at least transient snow" and further overnight frost.

It comes after parts of the UK were washed out with up to 60mm of rainfall last night after the Met Office issued a yellow weather warning for rain.

Meteorologist Alex Deakin said most of the UK would experience a "pretty dry week", although added rain would hit today across parts of the country.

That band of rain is continuing to move east across England and Wales this evening - with heavy showers seen further north.

The Environment Agency has 40 flood alerts and eight warnings in place across England today.

While the Scottish Environment Protection Agency has five alerts and two warnings in place.

Chief meteorologist Frank Saunders said: "It's worth being aware that despite a largely pleasant week ahead, there's a good chance the UK will experience a dip in temperatures at the weekend and into next week.

"High pressure is set to move in, bringing along with it easterly winds, low temperatures and an increasing risk of wintry hazards like snow and ice."

And meteorologist Aidan McGivern said there would be a "big change this week for the UK's weather as high pressure builds by the end of the week, bringing a return to overnight frosts and widespread settled weather". 

Chilly conditions are due to take hold from Thursday - following what was the country's fifth sunniest Januarys on record, despite the storms.

Sleet and snow showers later this week will be met by temperatures as low as -5C in Belfast, -3C in Birmingham, -2C in Manchester and Cardiff, and -1 in London, Newcastle and Glasgow.

Parts of Britain are still recovering from Storm Éowyn last month, which brought very strong winds and heavy rain to parts of the UK.

The highest gust of 100mph at Drumalbin in Scotland was the eleventh highest maximum gust since the Met Office started naming storms in 2015.

More than 100,000 properties were left without power, with further disruption caused by road and rail closures, fallen trees and damage to buildings.

This was swiftly followed by a weather system named as Storm Herminia by the Spanish Meteorological Service - with more significant impacts seen in Spain and France - struck British shores.