Britain hits balmy 15C in the big thaw after week long sub-zero blast: Met Office warns of flooding

The UK faces flood chaos after an Arctic last turned into a 15C thaw, battering some parts of the country with up to five inches of rain.

The Met Office has issued a yellow weather warning for rain across much of the south of England and Wales, in effect until 6am tomorrow. 

There have also been at least 40 flood alerts issued across the UK today with meteorologists warning the torrential rainfall could flood some roads, homes and businesses, potentially causing travel disruptions.

Water supply has been cut off to 15,000 homes and businesses across the south east. Customers in Kent and Sussex have been left without running water following drastic increases in burst pipes and leaks, a water company said.

Parts of the UK could be pelted with heavy rain today as temperatures are on the rise after more than a week of ice, snow and extreme cold. Pictured: Flooding this morning on several Essex roads

The warm spell comes after most of the country experienced lows of -10C to -15C in recent days. Pictured: Snow at Brendon Hill in Exmoor National Park on Saturday

Despite the Met Office having issued a ‘danger to life’ warning yesterday, temperatures are rising today as last week’s cold snap is replaced with warmer weather due to milder air coming in from the Atlantic. 

Temperatures hit 13C in parts of southern England and Wales this morning. Highs of 15C are expected in London, Edinburgh, Belfast and Cardiff later today.   

The warm spell comes after -17.3C was in recorded Braemar in Scotland last Tuesday – the coldest temperature since February 11, 2021 – while other places around the country experienced lows of -10C to -15C in recent days.

However, northern Scotland could still see temperatures in the single figures today. 

South East Water said melting snow and ice overnight cause higher than normal burst pipes and water mains.

Incident Director Douglas Whitfield said: ‘Due to the snow and ice thawing rapidly overnight we have seen a dramatic increase in the number of burst water mains both on our supply pipes and on our customers’ pipes across Kent and Sussex.

‘This has resulted in an immediate increase in demand for water.’

Temperatures hit 13C in parts of southern England and Wales this morning. Highs of 15C are expected in London, Edinburgh, Belfast and Cardiff later today

The Met Office has issued a yellow weather warning for rain across much of the south of England and Wales, in effect until 6am tomorrow. There have also been at least 40 flood alerts issued across the UK today

Water supply has been cut off to 15,000 homes and businesses across the south east. Customers in Kent and Sussex have been left without running water. Pictured: Bottled water collection today at East Grinstead Rugby Football Club

South East Water apologised for the pressure drop and said they needed demand for water to reduce. Pictured: Bottled water collection is available at East Grinstead Rugby Football Club

Customers in the East Grinstead, West Sussex have been cut off as well as large areas of Kent and bottle water distribution stations have been set up.

South East Water apologised for the pressure drop and said they needed demand for water to reduce.

‘Our team of technicians are working around the clock using a variety of methods to reroute water around the network and ease pressure on our system,’ Mr Whitfield said.

‘On a normal winter’s day we extract, treat and pump an average of 520 million litres of drinking water a day to customers.

‘During the past 24 hours this has increased by 100 million litres to 620 million. This has resulted in many of our drinking water storage tanks, which hold treated water before it is pumped to customers’ taps, going empty or very low.

‘Although we planned for this, we cannot predict when and where pipes will burst and are reacting as quickly as possible.’

Bottled water collection is available at East Grinstead Rugby Football Club – The Gearon Pavilion, Saint Hill Rd, East Grinstead RH19 4JU. South East Water said they are delivering bottles of water to customers most in need.

A car drives through a flooded road in Essex this morning after heavy rain overnight and thawing snow

A burst water main off Belsize Road in Camden on Saturday which flooded the London street

Snow covered are reflected in Loch Faskally near Pitlochry, Scotland on Saturday

South Wales, the south and south west of England are affected by torrential rain today which has prompted the Environmental Agency to issue dozens of flood alerts and 10 flood warnings which include rivers in Cornwall, Devon and Somerset. 

The Met office has also issued yellow warnings for rain on the south coast of England and in the valleys of South Wales.

The forecaster claims heavy rain could flood some roads, homes and businesses, potentially causing travel disruption. 

‘It’s also worth bearing in mind that, preceding this obviously it was so cold, so the grounds were a bit frozen, drains may have been frozen in places,’ Met Office meteorologist Alex Burkill warned.

‘As a result their ability to cope with the rainfall may have been reduced, so that’s why we could see some greater impacts which is why the warning was issued.’

The ice rink in Sutton, has melted by Monday morning due to the warm weather

Eight fire engines and around 60 firefighters were called to Belsize Road at 2.50am on Saturday morning after a 42-inch water main burst, causing flooding to a depth of half a metre across an area of around 800 metres 

Emergency services rescue a Camden resident Stefano Calcagni and his dogs Batista and Pandora after a burst water main flooded the London street on Saturday

The fire brigade said multiple homes have been flooded and firefighters had to lead around 20 residents to safety

The dramatic rise in temperatures – which has some areas seeing a change of more than 20C – has prompted warnings from water companies, which say the sudden changes could give way to a so-called ‘Burst Pipe Monday’.

When temperatures plummet, water can freeze inside a pipe and start to expand. This pressure can cause pipes to burst, with the water leaking out only when it starts to thaw.

Water UK, the trade association representing water companies, said unoccupied homes, public buildings and businesses were particularly at risk.

‘The last thing we want is for people to experience further disruption as temperatures rise this weekend, putting many homes at risk of burst pipes due to freeze-thaw,’ Peter Jenkins from Water UK explained.

Mr Jenkins also urged householders to check that their water pipes are well insulated.

Vehicles turn back as the snow gates on the Cairngorm Mountain ski road are closed due to the weather conditions affecting the snowsports area yesterday

The snow gates on the Cairngorm Mountain ski road were closed yesterday due to the weather conditions affecting the snowsports area

The ice in the Cambridgeshire Fens near Ely has melted due to rising temperatures this morning

This morning’s weather has already played havoc on travel, with flooding causing the rail line between Exeter St Davids and Plymouth to be closed.

Cross Country Trains, which operates the route, said the line would be shut until at least 12.30pm and that it is trying to source alternative road transport to replace trains.

South Western Railway has also put a 40mph speed limit in place due to the heavy rain and strong winds, which will slow trains. 

Despite the fast change in temperatures, the Met Office warns the spring-like weather will be ‘very short-lived.’

‘Monday night into Tuesday, for most it’s going to be a lot milder than it has been of late but we could still see a touch of frost particularly in parts of Scotland,’ Mr Burkill warned last night.

‘And then Tuesday, I think it’s going to be a little bit colder again compared to Monday. So the really mild day, Monday, is a flash in the pan if you will.’

He said forecasters are predicted highs of 12C perhaps 13C towards the south coast but away from that as you head to more central parts and further north. 

A man skis on the snowy beach beside a frozen-over Loch Morlich yesterday, as access to the Cairngorm Mountain ski slopes was closed due to the weather conditions affecting the main snowsports area

A robin perched on a snow covered branch near Loch Faskally, Pitlochry, Scotland on Saturday

Snow covers the frozen Loch Dunmore in Pitlochry, Scotland on Saturday

A hiker makes their way up an icy and snowy hill yesterday as rain falls in the Brecon Beacons National Park, Wales

He added: ‘We’re going to be in mid to high single figures at best, so quite a drop compared to Monday.

‘The cold period lasted so long and was so extreme, that’s come to an end.

‘But I think it’s fair to say the really mild weather we’ve got through tonight and into tomorrow is going to be very short-lived.

‘Things have gone from well below average, tomorrow they go to quite a bit above average and then they return closer to average as we go through tomorrow night onwards.’

Meteorologists expect the southern parts of the country to experience ‘near-normal’ temperatures in the run up to and through Christmas weekend.

The northern areas will be ‘little bit colder’ and see ‘some changeable weather coming through.’

Mr Burkill added: ‘So with that you could quiet easily get some wintry weather as we go towards Christmas, mainly towards the north.’