Britain is bracing for a sharp return to wintry weather next week, with temperatures forecast to fall as low as –7°C as an Arctic air mass descends
over the country.
The cold snap follows severe flooding triggered by Storm Claudia, which forced a major incident to be declared in Monmouth, south-east Wales, on Friday. Dozens of residents were rescued or evacuated, and Natural Resources Wales (NRW) issued four severe flood warnings amid fears for public safety. By Saturday night, England had 45 flood warnings in place.
The Met Office says a marked drop in temperature—around 5°C—will take hold from Sunday, with daytime highs struggling to climb out of single figures. Snow, ice and widespread frost are all possible in the early part of next week.
“As Storm Claudia retreats to the south, high pressure to the north-west will drive a cold northerly flow from the Arctic across the UK,” said Dan Holley, deputy chief meteorologist. “This will bring much colder conditions than of late and increase the risk of wintry hazards.”
He added that, combined with brisk winds, the chill will feel even more severe.
Storm Claudia brought intense rainfall and damaging winds to parts of Wales and England. Some 119.6mm of rain was recorded at Tafalog in Gwent in just 12 hours, with 80.6mm falling in Worcestershire over the same period. Gusts reached 68mph in Cumbria and 63mph in Gwynedd.
River levels on the Monnow surpassed those seen during Storm Dennis in 2020, NRW said. British Red Cross volunteers assisted evacuees at a local leisure centre in Monmouth, where homes, businesses and key infrastructure were affected.
Peter Fox, Welsh Conservative MS for Monmouth, described the flooding as the worst he had seen in decades. Local Plaid Cymru representatives have called for additional support for affected communities.
Emergency services from across Wales and neighbouring regions worked through blocked routes and fast-moving floodwater to assist residents. In England, the Environment Agency confirmed that at least 20 properties had flooded, with staff clearing debris and erecting temporary defences.
The UK Health Security Agency has issued a cold weather alert for the Midlands and northern England from Monday through Friday, while the Environment Agency warned that flood risks will persist into the weekend. Photo by Jason Yates, Wikimedia commons.
