UK weather: Met Office reveals snow could hit in days… but warns Brits need to get through a wet start to 2024 first
THE Met Office has revealed snow could hit parts of the UK in just days... but we have to make it through a wet and wild start to the year first.
New Year's Day has had a showery start - with the Met warning Southern England and Wales are "turning wet and increasingly windy".
The Environment Agency has issued 40 flood warnings for parts of the UK, including England and Wales.
Brits will be hit by downpours expected to cause flooding and travel chaos as they step into 2024.
The intense weather has already caused havoc in Essex where a taxi driver and passengers were rescued from a 3.5ft flood.
Heavy showers will likely see homes flooded and impact travel across Wolverhampton, Birmingham, Warwick all the way to York.
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Winds will turn increasingly powerful in Southern England and Wales as the day progresses.
Clouds located in southern areas will then spread across the country leaving a trail of heavy rain and gusts of up to 45mph.
Met Office warned it will be an exceptionally wet morning in Sheffield, Manchester and up to Darlington and Whitby.
The overnight rain could fade by the next morning in some southeastern areas.
But those in Birmingham, Cambridge and Norwich will still experience heavy rain and winds from 6pm until 6am.
The Met Office said: "Any lingering showers generally clearing to dry and bright spells as winds ease on Monday morning.
"Cloud increasing and rain arriving from the southwest overnight with a maximum temperature of 8C."
Clear spells across northern England and Scotland will then appear on Tuesday.
FEELING ALL WHITE
As we enter the end of the week, temperatures could plummet to below zero causing snow to settle over high grown in northern parts of the UK.
Between January 5 and January 14, the Met Office has warned: "As temperatures fall, the chance of any precipitation falling as sleet and snow increases, particularly over high ground and especially over northern parts of the UK, but not exclusively so by any means.
"As well as frost and ice by night, some freezing fog is likely to develop as well."
And the icy conditions are expected to continue into the end of Janruary.
The Met said: "The chance of widespread severe cold is still deemed low, but still the risk of impacts from cold, ice and snow is greater than normal."
The alert comes as 75mph winds and heavy rain blasted Brits last night as they rang in the New Year.
Yellow weather warnings for wind were issued for parts of England and Wales on New Year's Eve.
In many parts of the UK, people were urged to pack a rain jacket for the countdown.
Roads, rail, air and ferry transport were impacted, while coastlines became dangerous with massive swells.
But people didn't let the rain dampen their spirits.
Revellers fought the lashing rain and powerful winds as they gathered across the nation to kick off 2024.
Two million revellers filled the country's 40,000 bars on Sunday evening.
Of that, more than 100,000 flocked to the River Thames to join the traditional London fireworks which lit up the sky - with tens of thousands flocking to Edinburgh's Hogmanay.
But, with the Met Office placing a tornado warning over the southern parts of the UK and Ireland on Saturday, many opted to stay home.
Others in England's South saw celebrations cancelled with fireworks displays canned as a result of the wild winds.
Plymouth's Winter Wonderland event and a Devon town's fireworks display were all axed for New Year's Eve.
Organisers of the Plymouth event said: "As much as we are very disappointed and frustrated, your safety comes first, as well as ours, and we can't possibly take the risk."
In Devon, Barnstaple Town Centre Management said it canned the fireworks display due to the weather.
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They said: "Unfortunately due to the weather conditions and the gusting winds we will be unable to do the fireworks (Sunday) evening due to safety.
"We know this is disappointing, but safety is always the priority and we unfortunately can't control the weather."
