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Britain's weather woes are set to continue as downpours and melting snow spark warnings of localised flooding.
Rising temperatures and rain thawed much of the snow which fell earlier this week but in some areas the ground remains frozen beneath the surface, meaning excess water will run into rivers instead of being absorbed by the soil.
Scotland, Wales and south-west and north-west England are expected to bear the brunt of a band of heavy rain sweeping eastwards across Britain.
An Environment Agency spokesman said: "We are not currently expecting any major property flooding from rivers this weekend as they should have capacity to cope with forecast rainfall and snow melt. However, people should be aware that there is a risk of some localised surface water flooding from overwhelmed drainage systems, particularly across Wales and western England.
"The Environment Agency may issue flood watches and flood warnings for possible isolated river flooding in these areas, as heavy rain moves in from the South West on Friday evening. Environment Agency teams are out on the ground checking for blockages in waterways, removing debris and checking flood defences as a precaution."
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The Met Office issued severe weather warnings for heavy rain in Scotland, Wales and in north-west and south-west England. High winds are also expected in parts of Scotland today with gusts reaching up to 75mph in the Northern Isles.
Most of England and Wales should have a fairly dry day tomorrow with sunny spells although there is likely to be rain in the west of Scotland and showers in Northern Ireland. Temperatures are expected to fall again next week when there could be more snow.
Brendan Jones, senior forecaster with MeteoGroup, the weather division of the Press Association, said the flood risk this weekend was due to "a combination of factors".
He said: "Three things are coming into play - heavy rain, snow melt and deep frost. It takes longer for the frost and ice deeper in the ground to melt, particularly on higher ground, so water will run off the surface instead of being absorbed. We are going to see the most acute flooding in areas with the deepest snow such as northern England, Wales and Scotland. Smaller rivers are likely to cause problems later today and as more snow melts the levels of bigger rivers will start to rise as well."
People can sign up to flood warnings at the website www.environment-agency.gov.uk or by calling 0845 988 1188.
