UK weather: Arctic air sweeps in as Storm Claudia clean-up continues

Cold Arctic air has begun to sweep across the UK, bringing freezing temperatures as emergency services continue to deal with severe flooding caused by Storm Claudia. On Saturday, a major incident was declared in Monmouth, south-east Wales, where people were rescued or evacuated from homes that were flooded during torrential rain on Friday. It was rescinded on Sunday afternoon, the fire service said. On Sunday morning, four severe flood warnings imposed by Natural Resources Wales (NRW), which warned of a danger to life, remained in place, while there were 41 flood warnings in England. River levels on the Monnow had reached record levels, exceeding those recorded during Storm Dennis in 2020 and Storm Bert last year, NRW said. Homes, businesses, transport and energy infrastructure had all suffered from the “significant flooding” in parts of Wales, according to the Welsh government. The Environment Agency reported that 20 properties in England had flooded as a result of Storm Claudia, including some in Cumbria. The storm’s retreat is ushering in a cold snap across the UK, with temperatures plummeting to freezing and possible snow and ice, forecasters said. Saturday night was the coldest in the UK since 20 March, with temperatures falling to -7C in Tulloch Bridge, Scotland, according to the Met Office. A drop of about 5C will bring above-average temperatures for November plunging to single digits across most of the UK, with the mercury peaking at about 11C in south-east England on Sunday, and getting colder for the start of the week. The Met Office’s deputy chief meteorologist, Dan Holley, said: “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. “This will bring much colder conditions than of late and, whilst generally drier than recent days, there will also be a risk of wintry hazards, such as snow and ice. There will be widespread frosts across the UK, with temperatures dipping as low as -7C in places next week, and daytime temperatures staying in single figures across the country. “Couple this with a brisk northerly wind, and there will be a marked wind chill. This will be a notable change in our weather after a prolonged spell of above-average temperatures.” The UK Health Security Agency has issued a cold weather warning for parts of the Midlands and northern England from Monday, and the Environment Agency has warned flooding will continue throughout the weekend. The cold weather alert is in place from 8am on Monday until 8am next Friday and covers the East Midlands, West Midlands, north-east, north-west and Yorkshire and the Humber. Snow is possible on higher ground in the northern half of the UK by Tuesday. The Fire Brigades Union said it was under “immense pressure” because of severe flooding in parts of Wales and England, with years of cuts leaving firefighters under “increasing strain” during major weather events. Steve Wright, the FBU general secretary, said: “Firefighters in Wales and England have been working tirelessly through the night and into today to deal with severe flooding and protect communities affected by Storm Claudia. “Our reps are reporting exceptionally busy workloads, made more difficult by the simple reality that there are fewer firefighters and fewer appliances available than there should be.”