UK Weather: It's snow joke - the big freeze returns just as the great unlocking begins

Those looking forward to the moment they could finally have a drink in the Spring sunshine may have woken disappointed on Monday, as snow covered parts of the country.

Temperatures had plummeted to below freezing on Sunday night with Southern parts of England and much of Wales hit by snow showers, which was seen settling on roof tops, cars and gardens.

People took to social media to express their shock, with one user, Adam Brooks tweeting: "In years to come, I can’t wait to tell the Grandkids, that on the day they let us reopen, it started snowing."

The Lord Nelson, a pub in Brentford, tweeted a video of the downpour, joking "if you didn't laugh, you'd cry".

"If you are lucky enough to have a table booked somewhere this week please remember to be kind & patient. Covers will leak, heaters won’t work, service may go wrong but they will all be trying their best," they added.

The snow is set to clear by lunchtime today, bringing a mix of sunny intervals and scattered showers, according to the Met Office.

"The new week's starting rather wintry across southern England and parts of Wales with some snow, which is giving a temporary covering in places. Meanwhile the dry, clear weather further north is giving a locally severe frost."

The Met Office has said rain showers will move south-eastwards throughout the day, hitting the Midlands by mid-morning and reaching the south coast by the afternoon and into the evening.

Meanwhile, people in northern England and Scotland can expect to see a cold but sunny and dry start to the week.

A chilly night is due to follow on Tuesday, with freezing temperatures forecast across the UK.

The rest of the week is set to be cold but dry, the Met Office has said.