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Heavy rain and strong winds replace icy weather

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Media caption,

Helen Willetts looks at the forecast for the next few days

The very cold spell is over and as milder air affects the United Kingdom in the next few days this will be accompanied by strong winds and spells of rain.

There will be a significant change of weather as the block of cold air that brought very low temperatures to the UK is pushed back to north-eastern Europe.

Temperatures are forecast to rise across the country and a stronger jet stream racing across the Atlantic will bring areas of low pressure and spells of rain across from the west.

Image source, Â鶹ԼÅÄ Weather Watchers / RogerP
Image caption,

Rain and snowmelt led to severe flooding at the start of the week

How much rain will there be?

We are all going to have some rain in the next few days and the wettest weather will be in western areas of the UK, as all our weather is coming in from the Atlantic.

From Thursday to the end of the weekend forecast models are predicting in excess of 100mm (4in) of rain over hills in the west. For some places there could be a month's worth of rain in just a few days.

What could this mean?

On Friday there were Met Office yellow warnings of wind and rain for Friday evening, Friday overnight and Saturday, and more can be expected through the weekend.

The wet weather, together with any existing snow that will melt, is likely to lead to more flooding. According to the flood forecast from the Environment Agency, "further local flooding is possible quite widely across parts of England through the weekend due to further rain".

Image source, Â鶹ԼÅÄ Weather Watcher / Melody
Image caption,

There was snow in Lincoln on Sunday but it had switched to rain on Thursday

How long will it stay mild and wet?

Next week is forecast to eventually turn drier and colder as high pressure makes a return.

As far as the threat of flooding, snow or ice for Christmas is concerned it is just too early to say with any confidence.

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