Back to winter! Freezing storms hit UK

STORMS bringing torrential rain and gusts of up to 60mph are set to batter parts of Britain today.

Heavy rain could even turn to snow in higher parts of England, where temperatures will plummet to 0C (32F).

A yellow weather warning for rain and flooding covering London, the South East and parts of Central England is in place until midnight tonight.

The Met Office is warning of treacherous driving conditions and road closures, while commuters are being told to expect delays and cancellations on trains and buses.

Some parts of the South East could see up to 3in of rain, meaning there is a chance of power cuts and flood damage to buildings. As well as rain, Eastern regions will be hit by unusually strong gusts of between 40mph and 50mph, peaking at 60mph on the coast.

Temperatures will linger at 5C (41F), although there will be bright spells in the West Country and West Wales.

The Monday misery is being caused by a storm system moving north over France.

Temperatures will climb through the week, with highs of 14C tomorrow and on Wednesday – with the prospect of a sunny Bank Holiday weekend. Met Office forecaster Greg Dewhurst said: ‘It will be a wet start to the week, leading to a very difficult morning commute in the South East.

‘We could see localised flooding across this area, with a chance of wet sleet and snow over the high ground as well. But for the rest of England and Wales, it’s a completely different story, with dry and bright conditions in the West Country and West Wales. Tomorrow we’re looking at a bright day with scattered showers.

‘The rest of the week should be sunny with highs of 18C (64F) on Friday.

‘There is a good chance of pleasant sunny spells across the Bank Holiday weekend. Although it won’t feel like the heatwave we had earlier in the month, temperatures should stay in the high teens, meaning it will be a very pleasant weekend for most.’

Today’s bad weather marks a dramatic change from the glorious April heatwave just over a week ago which brought record temperatures and saw thousands flock to beaches.

On April 19, 29.1C (84.3F) was recorded in St James’s Park, central London, making it the hottest April day since 1949. The hot spell was caused by low pressure over the Atlantic and high pressure over western Europe drawing warm air to the UK.