The new weather forecasting system will be the fastest in the world - increasing Met Office computing capacity six-fold when the device is turned on in August 2022.

Hundreds have been evacuated from their homes since Storm Dennis hit on Sunday and five people have died after being struck by fallen trees or swept away in the deluge.

Communities battered by torrential wind and rain are warned that a tiny amount of rainfall could cause further flooding as Britain is hammered by terrible weather for the third weekend in a row.

Stormy weather will bring further misery to communities still suffering from two weeks of downpours as concerns grow that more flood defences will buckle under the strain.

The Met Office has warned a month's worth of rain could fall across an already soaked Wales today as yet another wave of torrential rain moves over the country. Pictured: Worcester.

More than 300 schools were shut for safety reasons today with forecasters warning up to four inches could fall over parts of northern England, Scotland Northern Ireland this week.

Large parts of Shropshire are already underwater, with many access roads closed, and things could get worse with the river due to peak tonight amid further heavy rain in the Welsh mountains.

Met Office forecasters are warning of up to four inches of snow from the Shetland Islands down to Nottingham and across to Northern Ireland this evening. Pictured: Derbyshire snow today.

Londoners bemoaned the 'pathetic' flakes that fell for just a few minutes this morning before joking that the city would still fall to its knees regardless - paralysed by the smallest bit of bad weather.

Met Office forecasters warned of up to four inches of snow from the Shetland Islands down to Nottingham and across to Northern Ireland overnight.

More than 170 Environment Agency flood alerts or warnings are still in place for England with further rain and hill snow on the way for some areas after temperatures fell to -3C (27F).

136 flood alerts have been put in place - mostly in the South - while the north has large yellow rain warnings for today before some respite on Sunday.

The atrocious weather shows little signs of abating, with Brits suffering a fifth consecutive wet weekend. Some areas will three to four inches of rain in heavy downpours and winds up to 50mph.

The Met Office has imposed consecutive weather warnings for fog, snow, wind and rain beginning today and not letting up until Tuesday lunchtime for parts of Britain.

Heavy rain will fall over Wales and North West England between 3pm today and 12pm tomorrow with homes likely to be flooded in Mid Wales between 6pm tonight and 10am tomorrow.

Temperatures will rise as high as 15 or 16C in the south on Tuesday. It will feel markedly like spring although it will be colder in the north.

The UK faces much-needed warm and lovely sunny weather this weekend after a -6C chill tonight, as the country sinks into a gloom amid the raging coronavirus crisis (St Anne's Beach).

The Met Office is warning of high pressure systems from the Atlantic and northern Europe crossing towards the eastern parts of the UK from Friday afternoon.

Snow is expected to hit parts of the UK while temperatures plummet to -8C in mini 'Beast from the East' set to batter lockdown Britain until next week (pictured, snow settling in Co Durham).

Britons feeling blue because of the coronavirus lockdown are set to bask in some sunshine with forecasters predicting temperatures could soar to 68F by Sunday.

Temperatures are set to rocket across the UK on Sunday and could hit up to 68F, but Britons will have to sunbathe from their back garden as the nation remains on lockdown amid the coronavirus crisis.

Forces across the country will be deployed to beauty spots, parks and roads amid mounting fears the public will leave their homes to soak up the sun. Pictured: A surfer in Tyne and Wear.

Temperatures are expected to be warmer than Ibiza in Britain today, with highs of 77F (25C) forecast in the south compared to 64F (18C) in the Spanish holiday hotspot.

A 2,000 mile-wide 'high pressure bubble' will see temperatures climb in Britain from 68F (20C) on Monday to 73F (23C) by Thursday, which would make the UK hotter than Essaouira, Morocco.

Typical April weather will resume next week, with rain and much lower temperatures on the way. Britons have enjoyed sunshine in recent days, that has brought wisteria and tulips into bloom early.

The country's worst-hit areas, most likely England's midlands and Wales, are facing up to 30mm of rain in the next 24 hours.

The Met Office said the 'unsettled' theme will likely last into the beginning of May, becoming more 'settled' into the second week, May 11 onward, with 'mixed' conditions until the end of the month.

Brits will experience a mixed few days of weather this weekend, before the mercury will rise early next week, with sunny spells back on the horizon.

The Met Office forecast temperatures to hit up to 77F (25C) on Friday, with London possibly seeing 79F (26C) on Saturday, as a plume of hot air from the southern Mediterranean wafts across the UK.

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