Storm Deirdre almost over after planes struggle to land during weekend of severe weather

Snow falls in the Scottish Borders as Storm Deirdre hit the British Isles Credit: David Cheskin/PA

The worst of the severe weather brought by Storm Deirdre is now “out of the way”, the Met Office has said.

The announcement came after a weekend of difficult conditions in which police reported several car crashes in Scotland and planes struggled to land at Manchester Airport.

Milder conditions are expected for much of the UK on Monday - mostly dry with some sunny spells, especially in the east.

The Met Office said it expected to formally announce the end of Storm Deirdre by Sunday afternoon.

The fourth named storm of the season brought freezing rain, strong gales and snow to large parts of the UK on Saturday.

In Scotland, where in some parts snow reached 50cm deep, thousands of homes lost power.

Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks (SSEN) said it restored power to 15,000 homes in North Scotland.

On Sunday, it was working to reconnect 1,900 customers in Aberdeenshire and Perthshire.

Down in South Wales, Western Power Distribution said it fixed 15 faults for 3,500 customers over a 24- hour period.

A further 17 faults affecting 3,000 customers in the South West were also fixed.

Freezing rain leaving a layer of ice on a branch near Settle in North Yorkshire Credit: @RichardPeasland/PA

Police forces across the country were left dealing with numerous reports of collisions triggered by icy conditions.

Officers in Devon, Cheshire, Cambridgeshire, Norfolk and Merseyside all tweeted to say they responded to incidents of fallen trees or traffic collisions.

Storm Deirdre’s arrival was also a blow to retailers on what should been a major pre-Christmas shopping day.

Saturday footfall across UK high streets was down by 9.1% by 3pm, retail intelligence firm Springboard reported.

Met Office metereologist Steven Keats said the weather on Sunday was “an improving picture”.

“The worst of the weather is certainly out of the way now,” he said.

“We should be out of the woods for warnings.

“The main message is for a lot of places it’s a marked improvement.

“If you were stuck inside yesterday you can dare to venture out.”

Shoppers brave the rain as they make their way down the High Street in Winchester Credit: Andrew Matthews/PA

He said some showers were still expected in northern and western Scotland, the South West and Wales, but this was more “typical” winter winter.

Monday morning commuters should “keep an eye out” for lingering ice patches.

Unsettled conditions are forecast for the coming week.