Britain to be colder than Moscow with -5°C forecast as flooding hits south east England

© Matthew Hartley

Many Brits woke up to their first winter frost this morning - as more flood warnings were issued for parts of the country. Forecasters are predicting more of the same tonight, with the mercury set to dip as low as -5C in central Scotland and gritters on alert up and down the country, compared to -4C in Moscow.

Central Britain and Scotland is also braced for a blanket of freezing fog tonight before a misty and frosty start to tomorrow morning. Flash floods hit parts of the of the South East of England last night with some roads transformed into rivers by a huge downpour with many areas receiving up to an inch of rain.

In London, the fire brigade tackled 34 separate flooding incidents. The River Ravensbourne in Lewisham, south-east London, burst its banks and water poured on to surrounding roads affecting an area of around 1,800 square metres, the London Fire Brigade said.

Around 21 firefighters and officers pumped the water away from homes and businesses in the area and back into the river but further downstream.

More wet weather is expected with The Environment Agency putting 10 flood warnings in place in England and Wales yesterday - all in the Anglian area.

The agency also issued 65 flood alerts, including 26 in the Anglian area and 28 in the South East.

Flood warnings mean flooding is expected and immediate action required; flood alerts mean flooding is possible and people should be prepared.

Rain is expected to return on Wednesday.

Weather forecasters have also warned that this week's cold spell could herald a snowy and cold winter.

Piers Corbyn, forecaster for Weather Action, said early signals warn of a severe cold snap hitting as soon as next month.

He said: "There are significant cold and snow blasts expected during December thanks to air being allowed to flood in from the Arctic region.

"This is due to a meandering jet stream which is currently blocking this cold flow of air, however a major change will see a dramatic turnaround with sustained cold and snow likely.

"People should be aware of the strong likelihood for disruption, especially as it is still mild so there may be a false sense of security."

James Madden, forecaster for Exacta Weather, added: "A much anticipated colder and more wintry spell of weather is likely as we progress throughout the latter part of November and into December."

However Met Office forecaster Laura Young disputed warnings of a cold snap.

She said: "Actually what we are seeing is an end to what has been a very warm and wet autumn and the return to more normal temperatures for this time of year.

"Many places are likely to reach 13c still with an average across Britain of 9.9c which is actually not bad for this time of year."

The chilly warnings come as the United States is crippled by a major whiteout which killed seven people.

Jim Dale, forecaster for British Weather Services, said: "It is not quite cold enough yet for that to happen but it is getting colder, especially after the mild weather we have seen and what we are expecting is not linked to what is happening in the United States.

"The change is really down to this battleground between high and low pressure, it is a classic situation resulting in mild quickly followed by cold conditions."

Tuesday's UK forecast: A cold and frosty start for most with low cloud, mist and fog which will be slow to lift. Then, it is going to be rather cloudy with rain spreading north into southern and central parts of England. There will also be patchy rain for western and southern Scotland and Northern Ireland.