As temperatures begin to rise above 0C around the country today, you’d be forgiven for thinking the worst of the wintry weather is behind you.
But new forecasts from WXCharts predict another onslaught of snow, wind, and rain in just a few days.
Weather maps show heavy rain moving in from the Atlantic on January 26 and drenching Northern Ireland and the eastern coast from Wick in Scotland down to Southampton and Devon in the south.
At the same time, northern and central parts of the country will see more flurries of snow and ice, with depths of around 1cm expected in the Scottish Highlands and around Manchester and Leeds.
Forecasts show the storm moving in with a vengeance at around 6am on Sunday, January 26, with temperatures dropping below freezing in the north.
Wet and icy weather is set to continue throughout the day and into January 27, with rain moving across the country and covering Birmingham, Nottingham, and most of Wales.
A stretch of snowfall is expected to continue accumulating from northern Scotland down to the West Yorkshire region, with maximum depths of 4cm in the northeast.
By midnight on January 27, stormy weather will begin moving northwards across the country, washing away some snow from central areas. Patchy flurries will continue in central Scotland and around Middlesbrough and York.
The blitz could be accompanied by stormy winds of over 50mph across the 48-hour period, concentrated in northwestern Scotland and the southeastern coast.
By 6am on January 28, the blast of seasonal weather will begin to dissipate. There will be continued snowfall around Inverness and the Highlands and a mix of rain and snow across a central stretch of the UK.
The upcoming stormy forecasts follow a period of excessively cold temperatures and heavy snow and rainfall in the last few days, with Scotland recording the lowest January temperatures in 15 years on Saturday, plummeting to -18.9C.
Over 30 flood alerts remain in place across the country this morning, but the Met Office has confirmed at least a short-term return to milder and sunnier weather. The mercury is expected to rise to the monthly average of between 8C and 12C.
However, from January 27, the Met Office warns of a “dominant flow from the Atlantic” that is likely to usher in unsettled, wet, and windy weather for most of the country, with cold spells that could indicate more “frost, ice, and snow” risk for thousands.
Today:
Sunny spells and milder temperatures in the south. Cloudy with some rain and drizzle in the north and gales expected in northern Scotland.
Tonight:
Remaining cloudy in the north with continued drizzle and mild spells. Slight temperature drop in the south with some rain and frost expected.
Tuesday:
Some drizzle is forecast to continue in western regions, with sunny weather in southern England and eastern Scotland. The mercury is rising for most of the UK.
Outlook for Wednesday to Friday:
There is some rain and wind in western Scotland, but it is largely dry and cloudy. There is some risk of fog in the south, and temperatures are returning to the seasonal average.