STORM Christoph is to smash Britain with a triple whammy of snow, floods and gale-force winds, warn forecasters.
Yellow warnings for rain stretch south cover all of England, and will remain in place until midday on Thursday, alongside the more serious amber warning across central England.
The army is now on standby as Storm Christoph brings two months' rain and snow in three days.
The Met Office's chief meteorologist Neil Armstrong said: "Parts of central and northern England and Wales could potentially see a month's rain in just 48 hours or so, with up to 200mm possible over higher ground."
Follow our weather live blog below for more information as well as all the latest news and updates from around the country
- Catriona Graffius
WHAT WILL THE NEXT STORM BE CALLED?
The UK is currently the grip of Storm Christoph.
Northern and central parts of England, Wales and Northern Ireland are expected to see torrential rain today (January 19) as Storm Christoph sweeps the country.
Eight inches of rain is expected in the coming days, as well as snow and gales.
The list of storm names are revealed by the Met Office from September to August.
The next storm will be Storm Darcy.
- Catriona Graffius
WHAT TO DO IF YOU LIVE IN A ‘FLOOD WARNING’ AREA
There are currently 51 flood warnings in place across northern and central England.
Here’s what do you if you live in area where flooding is expected:
- move family, pets and your car to a safe place
- turn off gas, electricity and water supplies if it is safe to do so
- put flood protection equipment in place
- move other precious items upstairs
FLOOD WARNINGS
There are currently 76 flood warnings in place across north and central England as Storm Christoph sweeps the country.
Over 190 flood alerts have also been issued across England.
Major flooding incidents have now been issued in South Yorkshire and Greater Manchester.
- Catriona Graffius
WINTER WELFARE
Low income households can get £25 a week to help with energy bills during the winter thanks to the cold weather payment scheme.
Freezing weather in certain areas of the UK, mostly in Scotland, has already triggered the first payment for many – and now even more areas are eligible.
When temperatures are recorded as, or forecast to be, zero degrees or below for seven consecutive days on average between November 1 and March 31, eligible Brits are entitled to extra money to heat their homes.
You get £25 for every seven day period where the weather is below 0C during this time frame.
You can check if your area has had a cold weather payment by popping your postcode into the government's tool from November 1 onwards.
- Catriona Graffius
TONIGHT'S FORECAST
It should stop raining in the south tonight but in central parts of the UK rain will mix with sleet or snow near midnight.
There will be persistent rain, sleet and snow in Scotland tonight and tomorrow.
- Catriona Graffius
BRACING FOR RAIN
Forecasters have warned two months’ worth of rain could be dumped in just two-and-a-half days across parts of the UK.
Weather alerts for heavy rain are in place for most of the country.
The Met Office has issued a yellow weather warning for snow and ice across northern England and Scotland.
It came after major incidents were declared in both Manchester and South Yorkshire.
Eight inches of rain are expected, as well as snow and gales.
- Catriona Graffius
STORM CHRISTOPH: PICTURED
Postman Mark Goodison delivers mail in Woolfords Village, South Lanarkshire, Scotland Credit: Alamy Live News The sea bursts onto a deserted Esplanade at Sidmouth, as Storm Christoph pounds into the Devon coastlineCredit: Alamy Live News - Catriona Graffius
RESCUE TEAMS SAVE DRIVERS AS ROADS TURN INTO RIVERS
Rescue teams have worked tirelessly over the last 24 hours saving drivers from their cars as Storm Christoph turned roads into rivers.
Almost 300 flood alerts have been issued across the UK with the Met Office issuing an Amber warning for rain today.
Weather warnings for heavy rain are in force across the country, and the unsettled conditions could also bring significant flooding, high winds and snowfall as the storm engulfs the country through the middle of the week.
Storm Christoph wreaked havoc overnight and this morning with heavy winds causing one lorry on the A62 to tip onto its side in the strong winds.
The accident led to several road closures.
- Lottie Tiplady-Bishop
SCOTS BEWARE STORM CHRISTOPH
Scots are being urged to travel with caution as Storm Christoph brings challenging weather conditions to some parts of the country.
Forecasters say rain will increasingly turn to snow during Wednesday and overnight into Thursday and may bring disruption in southern Scotland, while there are warnings of snow and ice in the north.
The Met Office has issued yellow weather warnings of snow for south-west Scotland, Lothian, the Borders and Strathclyde, valid until midday on Thursday.
A yellow warning of snow and ice is in place for Grampian and the Highlands until midnight on Wednesday.
- Lottie Tiplady-Bishop
TWO MONTHS' WORTH OF RAINFALL IN TWO DAYS
Parts of the UK could see two months' worth of average rainfall in just over two days as Storm Christoph moves in.
Weather warnings for heavy rain are in force across the country, and the unsettled conditions could also bring significant flooding, high winds and snowfall as the storm engulfs the country through the middle of the week.
The Met Office's most serious weather warning – amber for rain – has been in place across parts of the Midlands and northern England since Tuesday morning, while a less serious yellow warning is in place across the rest of England, parts of Scotland and Northern Ireland.
Simon Partridge, a Met Office forecaster, explained: "It's not a traditional sort of storm, it's going to be windy but it's not based on the wind strength at all, it's really down to the disruption that's being caused by rain.
"There are already parts of Cumbria that have already seen over 80mm of rain since midnight on Tuesday and there's a large number of places that have seen 50mm, and we are going to see further rain over the next 24 to 36 hours."
- Catriona Graffius
FLOOD WARNINGS
There are currently 60 flood warnings in place across north and central England as Storm Christoph sweeps the country.
Over 180 flood alerts have also been issued across England.
Major flooding incidents have now been issued in South Yorkshire and Greater Manchester.
- Catriona Graffius
STORM CHRISTOPH: IN PICTURES
A driver was rescued from his delivery van near the River Wear at Westgate, County Durham after it was swept on the evening of Tuesday January 19Credit: PA:Press Association A lone mallard enjoys an under water car park at the Dolphin Hotel, Cambridgeshire after the River Great Ouse burst its banks, causing flooding in the surrounding areaCredit: Alamy Live News - Catriona Graffius
UK WEATHER WARNINGS
Amber heavy rain warnings have been issued across parts of England including Manchester, Leeds, Sheffield, and Peterborough.
The Met Office amber weather warning will stay in place until 12pm on Thursday, January 21.
Brits in an amber warning area could see homes flooded, fast and deep-flowing flood water in the local area, disruption to roads and travel and even power cuts.
A wider yellow rain warning has also been issued by the Met Office covering the south of Scotland, Northern Ireland, north and south England, and Wales.
- Catriona Graffius
WHAT IS STORM CHRISTOPH?
Storm Christoph is the third named storm of the 2020/2021 season and the first of this year, following Storm Aiden on October 30 and Storm Bella on Boxing Day 2020.
The criteria the Met Office uses for naming storms is based on the National Severe Weather Warnings service.
Storms will be named when they have the potential to cause an amber or red warning.
- Catriona Graffius
BORIS TO CHAIR COBRA MEETING ON STORM CHRISTOPH
Boris Johnson told MPs that he will chair a meeting of the Cobra emergency committee in response to the storm.
The PM told the Commons: "Our sympathies also go out to those affected by the latest floods.
"I want to thank the Environment Agency and our emergency services for the work they're doing to support those communities, and I'll be chairing a Cobra meeting later on to co-ordinate the national response."
The army is on standby in Britain as Storm Christoph is set to smash the UK with two months' rain and snow in three days.
Almost 300 flood alerts have been issued as the Met Office warns of a "timeline of hazards" across Britain.
- Catriona Graffius
STORM CHRISTOPH SET TO WREAK HAVOC ON UK VACCINATION SCHEME
Storm Christoph is set to wreak havoc on the UK’s record breaking Covid vaccination programme as torrential rain could close jab centres.
It comes as the number of jabs has fallen for the third straight day, slumping to 204,000 today.
Health bosses blamed a weekend lag in reporting, with figures expected to be significantly higher tomorrow.
Officials were hoping to surpass 400,000 daily jabs by the end of this week.
But persistent heavy rain, snow and flooding is now forecast for much of the midlands and north as Storm Christoph sweeps in.
- Catriona Graffius
WHEN DOES SPRING START?
After wintry blasts and freezing showers, everyone is looking forward to the coming of spring. But when does spring actually start?
According to the Met Office, the astronomical start date for spring in 2021 is Saturday, March 20.
The end date, which signals the start of summer, is Monday, June 21.
This date is determined in reference to the position of the Earth’s orbit in relation to the sun, taking equinoxes and solstices into account.
However, meteorological spring begins on Monday, March 1, and ends on Monday, May 31, based on yearly temperature cycles.
- Catriona Graffius
WHERE WILL THE BEAST FROM THE EAST HIT IN 2021?
Forecasters suggest a new "Beast from the East" could hit Britain with "significant" snow and -5C daytime temperatures for two months.
Freezing conditions similar to those which caused the phenomenon in 2018 are forming, with experts warning we could be battered once more.
However, with Storm Christoph sweeping through the UK, torrential rain will be more widespread than snow this week.
A snow and ice warning has been issued in the north east of Scotland today.
- Catriona Graffius
LONDON WEATHER TODAY
London will see outbreaks of rain today along with brisk southwesterly winds.
Tonight will continue to be unsettled with more rain sweeping in from the rest with heavy spells.
Early tomorrow, the rain should clear leaving most areas dry with clear patches.
- Catriona Graffius
WHAT TO DO IF YOU LIVE IN A 'FLOOD WARNING' AREA
There are currently 51 flood warnings in place across northern and central England.
Here's what do you if you live in area where flooding is expected:
- move family, pets and your car to a safe place
- turn off gas, electricity and water supplies if it is safe to do so
- put flood protection equipment in place
- move other precious items upstairs
BRACING FOR RAIN
Forecasters have warned two months’ worth of rain could be dumped in just two-and-a-half days across parts of the UK.
Weather alerts for heavy rain are in place for most of the country.
The Met Office has issued a yellow weather warning for snow and ice across northern England and Scotland.
It came after major incidents were declared in both Manchester and South Yorkshire.
Eight inches of rain are expected, as well as snow and gales.
- Catriona Graffius
SHOCKING MOMENT VW SPINS OFF ROAD AND CRASHES IN HEAVY SNOW IN 'LOCKDOWN JOYRIDE'
The shocking moment when a VW spun off the road and crashed in heavy snow during an apparent lockdown joyride was captured on video this week.
The short clip, posted on YouTube, appears to have been recorded by the passenger of the vehicle.
It shows the Passat racing along a narrow, icy lane, while people inside laugh.
The vehicle then hurtles over a bridge, passing a car coming in the opposite direction at high speeds, before suddenly spinning out of control.
Footage recorded from inside the car shows the impact of the crash – before a man speaking in a Scots accent then shouts: "Oh my god, man."
- Catriona Graffius
WET WET WET
Heavy rain will batter the country today and over the next few days.
There are yellow and amber weather warnings for rain across most of the country.
In some areas there are yellow weather warnings for snow.
- Catriona Graffius
COLD WEATHER AND FLOODING EXPECTED THIS WEEK
A major incident was declared in both Greater Manchester and South Yorkshire ahead of the expected heavy rainfall this week.
North Yorkshire County Council said more than 15,000 sandbags were at the ready around the county.
Meanwhile, Public Health England (PHE) issued a cold weather alert from "first thing" on Thursday until 9am on January 25 for the North East, North West and Yorkshire and the Humber.
The agency said the risk of flooding will amplify the public health risks of the severe cold weather.
- Catriona Graffius
SHEFFIELD WEATHER FORECAST
It will be a largely unsettled day in Sheffield today as Storm Christoph batters the country.
There will be heavy rain throughout the day and continuing into the evening.
Snow, rain and sleet could also arrive in the city around midnight.
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