Britain is set to get its first real taste of winter later this week, with temperatures falling towards zero and snow and flooding on the way.
Sliver trucks spread salt and sand against a wintry backdrop in Scotland this morning, with the Met Office insisting snowstorms are also a possibility at “lower levels” in northern England.
Elsewhere, warnings have been issued along the North Norfolk coast, where there are fears high tides driven by strengthening winds will sweep over defenses and inundate homes and businesses.
The Thames Barrier is also set to close as strong northerly winds create a storm surge expected to be channeled along the Thames Estuary.
As mercury plummets to freezing and temperatures already plummet to 2C (35F) north of the border, police are urging drivers to exercise caution and warning that trees could be downed by storms.
Weather forecasts say sleet and hail will ravage Britain for the rest of the week, with lows of 1C (33F) after hitting a balmy 17C in some places two days ago.
A spreader spreads salt and sand on the road from Cockbridge to Tomintoul in Scotland against a wintry backdrop this morning
Drivers in the village of Tomintoul in Moray, Scotland, had to scrape snow and ice from their windscreens before braving the treacherous conditions
Roads were visibly icy as cars drove cautiously along in the village of Tomintoul in Moray, Scotland, as temperatures dropped
A graph shows the UK weather forecast for the next three days, with low temperatures and rain generally expected
A Met Office weather map shows temperatures dropping today, with mercury readings as low as 2C in some parts of Scotland
A Met Office weather map shows how wind and rain hit parts of Britain this morning
A spreader spreads salt and sand on the road from Cockbridge to Tomintoul in Scotland against a wintry backdrop this morning
Richard Niven from Edinburgh rode his vintage Royal Enfield motorbike over the A939 today. The trees and the roadside were covered in snow as the temperature dropped
Neill Robb shoveled snow from the paths outside his workshop in Lecht in Morayshire after falling temperatures brought frost north of the border
Early morning swimmers are faced with big waves on the beach at Tynemouth Longsands in North Tyneside as strong winds hit the coast of north east England today
A woman holds an umbrella and a warm coffee as she walks through the rain on a dreary day in Westminster, London
A woman wearing a face covering holds an umbrella to protect her from the rain on a miserable morning in the capital
A jogger takes his dog for a run on a sunny but blustery morning at The Purbecks in Ballard Down, Dorset earlier this morning
The view down the Swanage coast from the Purbeck Hills on a bright but cool morning at Ballard Down, Dorset today
Swimmers enjoy the water at Langland Bay near Swansea this morning as the sun rises over the skyline
Bookmakers are offering 4/6 odds that snow will fall in every major city by the end of the week, with temperatures dropping to zero at 4/9.
Coral spokesman John Hill said: “The big freeze is on its way and temperatures are likely to drop to 0C before the week is out, based on our chances.
“With temperatures dropping rapidly, this raises the prospect of snow being seen in many parts of the UK later this week.”
Meanwhile, the Environment Agency has said immediate action is needed in North Norfolk facing the North Sea.
Residents of villages such as Watcott, Bacton and Salthouse where flooding is likely. nervously waiting for the worst of the weather.
The north of the county has three flood warnings for the area stretching from Wells Quay to Bacton, with the EA warning saying the worst flooding is likely to occur between 7.15am and 11.15am.
“This warning follows weather forecasts which indicate that tides are expected to be higher than usual and therefore a high tide could occur,” they said.
“People are asked to use coastal roads and footpaths carefully and not to put themselves in danger unnecessarily.”
Elsewhere, there are several other less severe flood warnings in different parts of the county.
These say flooding is possible along the east coast in the Great Yarmouth and Waveney areas, and in western parts of the county such as Hunstanton.
Met Office forecaster Alex Deakin said: “It’s going to be a lot colder over the next 24 to 48 hours, with Thursday particularly cold thanks to some strong winds.”
With changeable weather, October saw Britain experience its wettest day on record, with enough rainfall to fill Loch Ness.
October 3 brought an average of 31.7 mm (1.25 inches) nationwide, the most since records began 129 years ago.
The day of downpours came hours after Storm Alex hit the UK with 90mph gales. It beat the previous record of 29.8 mm (1.17 in) on August 25, 1986.
