Rain and snow trigger flood alert
 Many councils are preparing sandbags and water pumps in case of flood |
Heavy rain sweeping across England has left many councils preparing for floods - but forecasters warn more snow is on the way elsewhere.
Up to two inches of rain is expected across southern England, with nine flood warnings in place across the south west.
Council emergency planning teams are on "full alert", according to the Local Government Association.
Blizzard conditions are expected in Wales and the Midlands later.
After a week which saw the UK's heaviest snowfall for 18 years, closing schools and crippling public transport, the rain has heightened the risk of flooding.
Monday has brought at least an inch of rain to almost all of the south of England, with some areas experiencing twice that amount.
 | WEATHER MAP   There will be heavy-lying snow by tomorrow morning  Matt TaylorBBC weather forecaster  |
The Environment Agency has issued nine flood warnings affecting homes and businesses near some rivers in Devon, Dorset and Somerset.
A further 30 areas in the south west are on flood watch - meaning low lying land and roads could be affected - along with 32 more in the Midlands, southern England and the Anglia region.
Elsewhere, the agency is warning of flooding in coastal areas of north-eastern England.
Many local authorities are preparing sandbags, water pumps and generators in case of flooding.
'Be prepared'
Local Government Association Environment Board chairman, Cllr Paul Bettison, said: "Emergency planning teams are on full alert and ready to help people before flooding hits.
"If the floods are going to come in the middle of the night, when it's freezing cold outside, elderly and vulnerable people need to be moved early."
He urged people living by a river, coastal or flood risk area to prepare themselves by moving valuables upstairs and signing up to the Environment Agency's automated warning system.
BBC forecaster Matt Taylor said the rain will turn to snow over eastern Wales and the west and southern Midlands on Monday evening, spreading north as far as Nottinghamshire overnight.
 Some councils are switching focus from clearing snow to flood planning |
Up to six inches (15cm) could fall in some areas. Gale force winds will cause drifting where snow is falling and exacerbate already freezing temperatures.
"There will be heavy-lying snow by tomorrow morning - up to 5cm (2in) of snow generally but we could see 10cm in some places and 15cm on higher ground," he said.
Localised sleet and light snow in the north of England should have less of an impact, while Northern Ireland and Scotland should escape further significant snowfall.
However, it will be another freezing night in the Highlands, Mr Taylor added.
Sunday night saw temperatures drop to -18C (-0.4F), which the Met Office said was the lowest temperature since January 2003.
For those councils facing further snowfall, a lack of road salt is a concern, with the Highways Agency saying supplies are "very limited".
There was some relief in Scotland as a ship unloaded 6,000 tonnes of salt from Tarragona in Spain at Aberdeen harbour. The city's council said it was a scheduled delivery.
We had a further two inches of snow overnight, on top of the four inches of ice that has been accumulating since last Monday
Another container ship is travelling from Spain, laden with a further 40,000 tonnes of salt, and a third is also heading to the UK with salt from Germany. Both are expected to dock on Wednesday.
Monday saw far fewer schools closed across Britain, although 55 were shut in Aberdeenshire. There were 13 closed across Wales and eight in Bedfordshire, with just a handful shut in other local authority areas across southern England.
Meanwhile, the debate continues over whether last week's snow caused Britain to grind to a halt too easily.
The leader of thw Devon and Cornwall Business Council, Tim Jones, said too many schools and businesses "panicked", costing the region's economy
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