UK weather: Snow, hail, thunder and rain arrive as spring 'supertides' spark flood warnings

Flood warnings have been issued in almost 30 places across England and Wales

High tides are putting the coast at risk of flooding (Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images)

Snow, thunder, hail and rain is expected across the UK today as supertides following the solar eclipse continue to threaten coastal areas with flooding.

Defences across the country have been closed over the weekend to protect homes from the “tide of the century”.

The Thames burst its banks in parts of London on Saturday and the Environment Agency has put parts of the capital on alert again today.

Water laps at benches beside the Thames during the high tide on Saturday afternoon (ThamesPics via YouTube)

Five flood warnings, requiring “immediate action”, have been issued along the Wye Estuary and Somerset coast, along with 24 less serious flood alerts mostly in south-west England.

High spring tides have combined with a post-eclipse “supermoon” to swell sea levels to metres higher than normal.

The threat comes at the start of another week of unsettled weather, as a band of cloud and rain moves south-east bringing heavy showers and below-average temperatures.

A man canoes around Mont Saint-Michel in France during the record 'supertides' following hte solar eclipse

A forecaster from the Met Office said the showers could turn into sleet and slow over hills and mountains in Scotland, Northern Ireland, the Pennines and Snowdonia in Wales.

“Anything that falls is only likely to be a couple of centimetres at most so it is unlikely to cause any problems,” he added.

“Temperatures will be feeling a bit cold for the next couple of days.”

Frosts are expected in rural parts of northern England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland overnight as temperatures plummet below freezing in places.

Daytime temperatures may reach 12C in the South East, although other parts of the country will struggle to hit double figures.

“Showers spread across the UK with the possibility of sleet, snow, hail and thunder,” the forecaster added. “It will be a changeable 48 hours.”