Met Office: UK braces for flooding amid cold spell

This comes as temperatures are predicted to plummet right up into next week, according to forecasts.

The Environment Agency has issued 119 flood warnings and 192 flood alerts in England as of Sunday morning, up from 98 and 169 on Saturday.

The Met Office has also issued multiple yellow weather warnings with risk and danger to people in several parts of the UK.

PA - More than 100 flood warnings have been issued amid cold spell (Image: PA)

A warning of ice cover throughout much of Scotland, the northeast and northwest of England has been issued, suggesting that there could be “icy surfaces and high-ground snow leading to some difficult travelling conditions in places on Saturday night and Sunday morning."

The Met Office also expects "frequent wintry" snow showers, seeing the meteorological body issue severe warnings for snow and ice across northern Scotland from Sunday through to Wednesday.

The Met Office said: “A few centimetres of snow are likely at low levels over a given 24-hour period, with the potential for 10-15cm above 200 metres, especially across parts of the Highlands. Ice will be additional hazard, especially Tuesday night.”

Residents are being urged to be more cautious amid weather-induced disruption that could make driving on roads or travelling by foot or bike more hazardous.

This extreme weather is also likely to affect public transport, seeing buses and trains delayed and even cancelled.

It is likely to be a cold and icy start to Sunday across parts of Scotland and northern England

Elsewhere there will be some sunshine but also outbreaks of rain and hill snow pic.twitter.com/ayuVN8J0hI

— Met Office (@metoffice) January 14, 2023

The forecaster said: “By Sunday most of the UK will be in the northerly airflow, with lower temperatures spreading further south overnight.

“Showers will fall increasingly as sleet and snow in the north, even to lower levels. Some showers further South and West, and perhaps a more persistent spell of rain overnight into Monday, could also turn to sleet and snow mainly over high ground such as the Brecon Beacons, Exmoor and Dartmoor.

“Overnight frost will become more widespread by Monday night, with overnight temperatures below 0°C across much of the UK. Temperatures could get down to -10°C in sheltered glens, or across high ground areas of Scotland where there is lying snow.”

In preparation for these warnings, areas like York have erected flood defences with the City of York Council saying it had taken these measures to keep the area “safe and open” as it urged visitors to plan their journeys ahead of time.