The Met Office has issued yellow weather warnings for rain across the region – with the possibility of snow falling on high ground.
Sun-lovers across the region will be reacquainted with a harsh reality this weekend – as heavy rain accompanied by near-gale force winds is set to soak Suffolk and north Essex.
There is also a small chance of snow – with a sprinkling of the white stuff forecast for high ground.
Sunday and Monday are likely to be very damp, with up to 70mm of rain in some places – and strong to gale force winds battering the area.
As the rain falls thick and fast, there will be an increasing risk of flooding – making homes and businesses vulnerable. Driving conditions are also likely to be difficult, with spray on the tarmac obscuring motorists’ vision.
Where flooding is at its worst, there is a possibility that roads will be closed. In severe cases, public transport services may be cancelled or delayed.
Phil Garner, a forecaster for Weatherquest, said while he thought the prospect of snowfall was unlikely, heavy rain could certainly prove troublesome.
He said: “There is a risk of localised flooding. This is awful lot of rain to come in a short period.”
Mr Garner added that near-gale force winds could cause further disruption.
“We could be looking at gusts of 55 to 60mph on the coast and 45 to 50mph inland,” he said. “With the intensity of the rain there is a chance of strong cross winds.”
Temperatures will remain below average for this time of year as the bleak weather brings with it a wintry chill.
Tomorrow the mercury will reach just 11C, while on Sunday temperatures will struggle to climb past 9C.
Monday will be “rather poor”, Mr Garner added, as the region will see highs of just 6 or 7C.
Conditions will begin to return to normal as the week goes on, with temperatures stretching to 15C on Tuesday and 16C on Wednesday.
The Met Office yellow warning is set between 8pm on Sunday, April 29 and midnight on Monday, April 30.
The forecast states: “A period of heavy rain will affect first Southeastern England and then parts of East Anglia on Sunday evening, lasting through much of Monday. Although there is much uncertainty in these rainfall totals and how far West the heaviest rain will occur, accumulations of 25-40 mm are possible, and 50-70 mm in places during this period.
“The heavy rain will be accompanied by strong to gale force Northerly winds, and it will be cold enough to produce some snow on high ground such as the North and South Downs, although this is unlikely to settle.”
The bleak conditions follow a bout of unseasonably warm weather that swept across the region last week, with temperatures peaking at 27C on Thursday, April 19 – the hottest April day for nearly 70 years.
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