When will the rain stop?

A third weekend of stormy weather and swollen river levels has continued into this week, with flood warnings remaining in place for many parts of the UK.

With swathes of the country affected by devastating flooding, this week’s weather forecast will be unwelcome news, particularly for those in Scotland, Northern Ireland and the north of England.

With severe weather across the UK showing no sign of relenting, flood-hit communities are “bracing themselves” for “further bands of torrential rain”, ITV News reports.

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What will happen this week?

According to the Met Office, this week will see more miserable weather across the UK, with wintry showers expected for the northwest of the country on Wednesday afternoon, and similar conditions for the southern third of the UK.

Thursday, meanwhile, is expected to bring rain, sleet and even snow over the south of England, while the rest of the country experiences “unsettled and often windy” conditions and yet another “spell of wet weather” on Friday.

There are currently 99 flood warnings active in England, two of which are listed as “severe”: the River Severn at Shrewsbury and at the Wharfage, Ironbridge. There is one flood warning in Wales and none in Scotland.

There are also 136 flood alerts in England and three in Wales, which mean that flooding is “possible”.

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When will the rain finally stop?

The BBC reports that a “stronger frontal system will push into the country on Friday and last into Saturday”, bringing “widespread heavy rain to most places”.

The Met Office suggests that the weather will be “unsettled with further spells of wind and rain” in the south into the first week of March, with wintry showers possible further north. Furthermore, this will also coincide with an ongoing risk of gales, and “should deep low pressure systems form, severe gales to storm force winds are possible”, the forecaster adds.

Even by the second week of March, a “continuation of the unsettled weather is expected” in the north, with “spells of rain and strong winds broken by brighter, but showery conditions”.

However, conditions will “likely turn more settled across most areas by the middle of March, with more prolonged dry spells possible, especially in the south”, with temperatures expected to be above the national average for this time of year. This, according to the BBC, should allow river levels to lower and the flooding situation to improve.