Severe gales, heavy rain and snow, ice and coastal flooding — but a quieter spell to come.
Last week the weather started to deteriorate on Tuesday night as a deepening low passed close to northern Scotland; winds strengthened markedly in the early hours of Wednesday. Worst hit were Scotland, northern England and Northern Ireland. The howling winds eased during the day, although it turned increasingly cold.
The cold air spread south on Thursday, with more widespread snow showers and thunderstorms. There was also thundersnow — snow rather than rain falling in a thunderstorm — which tends to muffle the thunder and reflect the lightning, making it seem brighter.
Further south it was a worrying day for meteorologists expecting snow — how disruptive might it be? The rain through much of the day was bad enough; then came sleet and snow and a very icy night.
On Friday, as an area of low pressure tracked south down the North Sea, winds grew, bringing more sleet and snow. The combination of a storm surge and high spring tides brought local flooding to coastal counties from Northumberland to Kent. Thankfully, conditions improved yesterday.
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After a wintry week, what next? Today’s winds have turned more westerly, driving milder, cloudier conditions from the Atlantic. Temperatures will range from about 11C in the northwest to 5C in the east. Monday and Tuesday look rather dull for many, but clearer, colder continental air looks set to spread into southeastern Britain. Expect a good deal of dry weather through the rest of the week.
Isobel Lang is a Sky News forecaster