Weather conditions are forecast to gradually improve over the coming days after heavy rain and snow caused travel disruption and brought the Easter bank holiday weekend to a soggy end across much of the UK.



Up to 10cm of snow blanketed areas of northern England, Wales and Scotland, while torrential rain lashed southern areas as millions of motorists returned home.

Yellow weather warnings – the lowest level – were issued for most of the UK. About 25 warnings to expect flooding were in place as of 2.30pm on Monday, in addition to 205 alerts about possible flooding.

The village of Marsden, east of Manchester, on Sunday. Photograph: Oli Scarff/AFP/Getty Images

More than 40mm of rain fell in some parts and images posted online showed roads and parks submerged under water and cars struggling on snow-covered motorways in what the AA warned was likely to be one of the busiest bank holidays in recent years.

Incidents included one in which a family escaped serious injury when their car lost traction and overturned after it hit standing water off the A52 near Derby. At Leeds Bradford airport, heavy snow and rain temporarily disrupted schedules, causing some cancellations.

Spectators brave the rain to watch a Good Friday reenactment of the Crucifixion in Trafalgar Square, central London. Photograph: Johnny Armstead/Rex/Shutterstock

Several sporting fixtures had to be called off due to icy pitches and heavy rain. They included Nottingham Forest’s Championship clash with Barnsley, which was postponed due to a waterlogged pitch, and League One matches involving Bradford and Walsall as well as Doncaster Rovers and AFC Wimbledon.



While poor conditions were expected to worsen in Scotland and persist in Northern Ireland, the picture will improve for most parts in the coming days, according to the Met Office.

“A weather system has moved up from the south-west which has hit existing cold air,” said the meteorologist Alex Burkill. “That’s why we’ve seen a band of heavy rain falling with snow and sleet mixed in.”

Thursday in particular is forecast to be one of the better days while temperatures could creep up into the high teens by the end of the week.

The bad weather is not unusual for April, which has an average of 2.3 snow days each year.





