As people prepare for their Christmas vacation, the UK’s cold snap has given way to high temperatures with predictions of heavy rain and even flooding.
Until Tuesday at 06:00 UTC, southern England and south Wales are under a yellow notice for precipitation.
After a week of subfreezing temperatures, meteorologists predict that Monday could reach 15 degrees Celsius in certain areas.
The Met Office predicted that floods could damage homes and businesses, as well as hinder road movement.
In addition, bus and train travel could be hampered when heavy rains hit Brighton, Plymouth, and Portsmouth in the south of England, as well as Newport, Wales, on Monday.
Nationwide, there are nine flood warnings in effect and 49 flood alerts issued.
As tens of thousands of workers of the Rail, Maritime, and Transport union (RMT) go on strike beginning at 18:00 on Christmas Eve, more individuals may opt to go by car.
The RAC anticipates that 7.9 million trips will be taken in the two days preceding Christmas Day, with the worst traffic expected between 10:00 and 19:00 on Friday and between 12:00 and 13:00 on Saturday.
Rod Dennis, a spokesman for the RAC, stated, “If possible, drivers should try to make their excursions on a quieter day earlier in the week.”
The AA also issued an “amber traffic warning” for Friday and Saturday, urging motorists to inspect their vehicles’ gasoline, oil, coolant, and screen wash levels, as well as the correct inflation of their tires.
Bursting pipes
Peter Jenkins from Water UK recommended individuals examine the insulation of their water lines following the severe weather.
“The last thing we want is for families to endure additional disruption as temperatures increase… placing many houses in danger for pipe bursts owing to freeze-thaw cycles.”
Scottish Water reported a 150% increase in broken pipes in recent days due to rapid thawing caused by sub-zero temperatures, with an additional 100 million liters of water per day moving through them.
Welsh Water also reported several breaches as a result of the “rapid thaw,” with one pub facing a massive cleanup after its ceiling pipes burst and water rushed in.
Until Sunday, the majority of the country was under snow and ice warnings, including an amber alert for ice in portions of northern England.
The harsh weather brought temperatures as low as -17.3 degrees Celsius to Scotland on Tuesday, the lowest record since February 2021.
Presenter Jennifer Bartram stated, “Monday will see a significant drop in temperature, and while such a drastic change is rare, it is not unheard of.
“The change is directly related to the origin of our air; we are exchanging very cold Arctic air with much milder air from the Atlantic.”
