Today will start mostly shower free, despite being chilly almost everywhere, but don't pack your coat away just yet.
The UK is just escaping from the clutches of Deirdre after 15 inches of snow, 80mph winds and freezing rain hammered most areas of the country.
After a spate of weather warnings, the remnants of Deirdre are finally departing towards Scandinavia today, but the brief reprieve today and tomorrow won't last long.
From Tuesday, a brutal weather front will sweep in from Iceland hammering the UK with up to 40mm (1.5in) rain and could cause localised flooding in areas where rivers are already close to spilling their banks.
Met Office meteorologist Martin Bowles said the area of low pressure would be coming from Iceland in the North Atlantic in the early hours of Tuesday morning.
"It will start in Northern Ireland and move across the west of the UK," he told the Sun Online.
"Over the 24-hour period 40mm rain is set to fall in Dumfries and Galloway as well as the moors of South West England and the hills of West Wales.
"We could see flooding in Dumfries & Galloway in Scotland, as well as the Moors of south west England and hills of West Wales."
He added: "In areas where there's already been lots of rain in the last 48 hours some of the rivers are very full."
No flood alerts have yet been issued but this could change by Tuesday morning.
Last week's horrific conditions have caused nightmare driving conditions and "multiple crashes" after 15 inches of snow, 80mph winds and freezing rain hammered the isles.
This morning, Police Scotland said there have already been several accidents on the M74, and warned motorists to avoid the "treacherous" A9.
By Sunday morning the Met Office had lifted multiple Amber weather warnings across most of Scotland, Northern and Central England for freezing rain – a rare phenomenon where ice sheets known as black ice instantly form on road surfaces.
A fourth Amber warning for heavy snow and blizzards was also released yesterday for Scotland as areas barely reach temperatures past freezing but has also now been lifted.
Ten yellow warnings were in place this weekend forecasting snow, strong winds and heavy rain to hit most regions of Scotland, Wales and the Yorkshire and Humber area.
Chaotic travel conditions over the Christmas period will hit at a time when likely rain and ice could create havoc on the roads.
There are 330 rail projects taking place over the festive period, while schools breaking up relatively late on Friday, December 21, will trigger the most congested getaway rush for years.
Superintendent Louise Blakelock, Deputy Head of Road Policing for Police Scotland, earlier issued a warning for drivers in Scotland – ones that apply to all drivers travelling in testing conditions.
"Drivers of goods vehicles and buses should drive with extreme caution and be aware that you may be requested to park at a suitable position by the police," she said.
"If you are travelling on the roads you should ensure you and your vehicle are adequately prepared for the conditions, making sure you have sufficient fuel and supplies such as warm clothing, food and water in the event you are delayed for several hours.
"Charge your mobile phone and plan your route as well as alternative routes."
Parts of England have been in the grips of freezing temperatures, with max temperatures of 0.2C recorded in areas including Bingley in West Yorkshire and Pateley Bridge in Harrogate, North Yorkshire.
Temperatures in Cairngorm, about 1,245 metres above sea level in the eastern Highlands of Scotland, have also remained bitterly cold.
Freezing rain has hit the central belt of the country, causing treacherous conditions on roads like the M62, the M6 and the M74.
The heaviest snow fell in Scotland this weekend, with 1,500 gritters being deployed.
Records taken on Saturday shows temperatures of -6.4C, with gusts of 119mph – making it feel like -23C.
The bitterly cold weekend comes as sub-zero winds from Russia collide with a severe weather front heading east from the Atlantic.
Met Office meteorologist Alex Burkill said yesterday: "The band of rain, sleet and snow is crossing the UK and it is bringing significant amounts of snow in parts of Scotland and northern England."
A RARE PHENOMENON: WHAT IS FREEZING RAIN?
Freezing rain is a type of liquid precipitation that falls as a supercooled water droplet until it strikes a cold surface, at which point it freezes almost instantly.
It tends to start its life as snow, ice, sleet or hail, but passes through a layer of air that’s above 0 °C on the way down to the ground, melting into a liquid water droplet.
If these droplets then fall through a zone of sub-zero air just above the ground, they become supercooled.
When these supercooled droplets strike surfaces that are close to or below freezing, they freeze on impact forming a glaze of ice.
It’s common across parts of the USA, for example, for weather systems to produce a lot of freezing rain.
These are called ice storms, and if enough glaze collects on trees or power lines, the weight of the ice can cause them to break and collapse resulting in disruption on a large scale.
The glaze is also slippery, which makes driving and walking almost impossible.
The conditions needed for freezing rain to occur are quite specific and we don’t see them very often, making this phenomenon quite rare in the UK.
Source: Met Office
He added that patches of frost and fog would also continue to plague the UK.
The RAC is expecting breakdowns to soar above 7,000 per day while Network Rail has confirmed plans to use 34 de-icing trains in order to minimise disruption.
The cold snap will ease off by Thursday although bookies have slashed the odds of a White Christmas to 2/7.
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