Britain is bracing for a blast of winter weather this week, as a surge of arctic air is expected to bring widespread frost, icy conditions and some snow.
The cold weather comes in the wake of heavy rain from Storm Claudia, which caused severe flooding in parts of southern Wales and central England over the weekend.
As Storm Claudia moved away on Sunday, a high pressure system to the northwest began to drive in colder air from the Arctic. Dan Holley, a deputy chief meteorologist at the U.K. Met Office, said this would lead to a significant shift from the recent mild weather.
“Couple this with a brisk northerly wind, and there will be a marked wind chill,” he said.
There is also a “slim chance” of sleet or snow reaching parts of southwest England starting Wednesday, as northerly winds drive showers that could turn wintry.
In addition to possible snow, forecasters said there was also the risk of ice as the weather system moves south, especially where the rain falls on cold surfaces.
The U.K. Health Security Agency issued yellow cold-health alerts from Monday through Friday for parts of the Midlands and northern England. The yellow alert is the lowest of three levels, indicating potential impacts on older people and those with existing health conditions.
The cold has already arrived in Scotland, where temperatures fell to about 19 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 7 degrees Celsius) in Tulloch Bridge on Saturday night. The Met Office said that was the coldest night in Britain since March 20.
In England, flood warnings tied to Storm Claudia remained in effect on Sunday, mostly across the western part of the country.
The storm caused widespread flooding in and around Monmouth, in eastern Wales, where crews from South Wales Fire and Rescue were conducting rescues and welfare checks.
More than 4.5 inches of rain fell between Thursday evening and Saturday morning, according to a gauge in southeast Wales.
Temperatures are expected to continue falling through the week, with daytime highs between 37 and 45 degrees Fahrenheit expected by Wednesday.
Annie Shuttleworth, a meteorologist and weather presenter at the Met Office, said these below-average temperatures would likely lead to widespread frost by midweek, particularly inland across Scotland.
Snow is also expected, as a weather system moves south starting on Tuesday. Ms. Shuttleworth said the greatest likelihood would be across Scotland, especially in northern areas.
“It will probably be fairly slushy though,” she said. “And it may only be restricted to higher ground.”
Despite the chill, the cold weather should be short-lived. The Met Office’s long-range forecasts said a return to milder, more unsettled weather was expected by the end of next week.
Nazaneen Ghaffar is a Times reporter on the Weather team.
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