GETTY Britain is set to be hit by heavy rain, before more wintry blasts later in the week

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A band of unsettled weather is poised to sweep in from the Atlantic as forecasters say it will briefly feel slightly warmer. Heavy downpours and 50mph winds will follow a weekend of snow, ice and sub-zero temperatures sparking fresh flood fears. However it is all change from midweek as another swathe of bitter Arctic air floods in from the north. Some forecasters warn it will herald a wintry run up to Christmas prompting bookies to slash odds for snow on the big day. The outlook comes after Britain shivered in the coldest snap of autumn so far after thermometers plunged to -6C (21F) at the weekend.

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Parts of Scotland and the north saw the first significant snowfall of the season with wintry showers reported as far south as London. James Madden, forecaster for Exacta Weather, said the next icy blast threatens to pack a much bigger punch. He said: “After a cold and wintry weekend with some cold mornings to start the week, we will see some milder days developing before the next major wintry blast. “We could see widespread snow towards the end of the week and into the early part of the following week. “There will also be a continuation of some wintry weather conditions further north and in among the return to some unsettled and less colder days during next week. “This next wintry blast will also be of a more potent nature with the risk for some significant snow depths to be recorded across parts of the country - including lower levels.

GETTY The beginning of the week will have heavy rain, with a risk of flooding

GETTY The freezing weather will return midweek

“This will also pave the way for several wintry blasts of a severe nature during December.” Forecasters warned of widespread frosts and icy roads this morning. Thermometers dipped as low as -8C (18F) during the early hours before winds pick up later in the day. One man was rescued by firefighters who flung ropes to lasso him from freezing mud before hypothermia set in. He got bogged down in the icy mud in a river estuary at Truro, Cornwall, as temperatures dipped to freezing just after nightfall. Fire crews from Truro, Falmouth and St Austell were scrambled to the river bank close to Green Street at around 6.15pm last night. A spokesman from Cornwall Fire and Rescue Service said this morning: "On arrival at the scene, the crews found one male casualty stuck in the mud. "He was rescued by the use of throwing lines and a triple extension ladder." He was cold and exhausted but otherwise unhurt. It is not known how he slipped into the mud but fire crews said it had been very dark and he may have stumbled off the path. He shouted to raise the alarm after realising he could not struggle free from the freezing, clinging mud.

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And in Norfolk, two cars skidded of the road and flipped on to their sides next to each other - four hours apart. Luckily the drivers were both unharmed. The first accident took place near RAF Marham at around 3.30am and the second took place at about 7.30 this morning. Leon Brown, forecaster for The Weather Channel UK, said: “There will be another widespread frost on Sunday night with temperatures as low as minus 6C to 8C in Scotland and minus 3C (27F) to minus 5C (23F) over central and western England to Wales. “The week starts cloudy and still cold on Monday with a freshening westerly wind and some rain reaching the north and west. “It is then expected to turn mild by Tuesday with moderate to fresh winds and some light rain spreading across much of the UK. “The rest of next week reasonably mild again but often windy with strong and at times gale force westerly winds.”

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After a cold and wintry weekend with some cold mornings to start the week, we will see some milder days developing before the next major wintry blast James Madden, Exacta Weather

Gritters will remain out and about this week as officials assure salt stocks are sufficient to cope with whatever the weather dishes up. The Local Government Association (LGA) insisted Britain is “one step ahead of the weather” with 1.2 million tonnes of salt ready to go. Environment spokesman Peter Box said: "Councils are fully prepared to protect residents and minimise disruption to their residents caused by the drop in temperatures. “They are constantly monitoring up-to-the-minute weather reports to make sure they can stay one step ahead of the weather. “We are well prepared for the cold with 1.2 million tonnes of salt stockpiled and a fleet of state-of-the-art gritters ready to be deployed. “As well as gritting our roads and clearing snow, council teams are ready to be drafted in to help provide a variety of services to ensure we are looking out for the more vulnerable members of our communities this winter.” Weather Network forecaster Tiffany Curnick said in the meantime the main threat will be from the next round of wind and rain. She said: “As winds turn west to northwesterly this week we'll see temperatures recover close to the November average, but not as mild as we've seen recently.

GETTY Tonight will be bitter night tonight with widespread frosts and icy roads expected tomorrow morning

“Weather systems will move in from the Atlantic with strong winds and heavy rain at times - mainly affecting the northwest UK with the drier weather in the southeast.” The Met Office said things will turn milder but more unsettled from today as a weather front moves in from the Atlantic. Forecaster Emma Boorman said most places will wake to frost before it turns milder and windier. She said: “Monday is going to start off quite cold and frosty and people should be prepared to scrape their cars first thing. “It will then turn a little milder, with temperates returning closer to normal for the time of year. “There is a weather front coming in from the northwest bringing in Atlantic air and it will be quite unsettled with some showers and turning quite windy. “By Wednesday temperatures are going take another tumble and it will stay quite breezy.”