Blue Monday: A woman drenched in rain trudges to work near Parliament this morning
Blue Monday lived up to expectations today as the country was soaked by wet weather.
On the statistically most depressing day of the year, commuters returning to work in the capital faced a deluge of rain totalling 20 mm in some places.
The transport network didn't help either as rail users on First Great Western services suffered delays between Paddington and Slough after signalling problems.
And commuters on another line were left reeling tonight after it was revealed that station car parking charges could rise by £100 a year on South-Eastern routes.
While the gloomy weather in London did little to raise workers' spirits, elsewhere householders in some parts of the country were bracing themselves for floods after the rain sent rivers to bursting point.
Seven flood warnings and more than 45 alerts were issued by the Environmental Agency today after yet more rain fell on already wet ground across the country.
Following up to 18mm of rainfall on Monday morning, warnings were in place on the Isle of Wight and in Cumbria.
Melksham, Bradford on Avon and Malmesbury, in Wiltshire, have also been warned to take precautions.
Over the weekend, 173mm of rain fell in Snowdonia, while 150mm of rain was recorded in Shap, Cumbria. Residents also suffered from 69mph gusts of wind and further rain.
Avoiding action: A pedestrian in London is lucky not to be soaked as a bus drives through a puddle near the Houses of Parliament
Cheer up: Another woman struggles across Lambeth Bridge in the morning rain
Water sport: The level of rainfall in London is illustrated by the depth of puddles this cyclist is riding through
More than 43mm of rain fell in Glasgow, 28mm in Northern Ireland and 47mm in Redesdale Camp, Northumberland.
But the weather is set to stabilise and, but forecasters predict temperatures will hit 10C.
Sarah Holland, from the Met Office, said: 'It is certainly looking up over the next few days. We are not seeing pictures of cold temperatures in the near future and the cold snap seems to be behind us for the moment.
'It will be cloudy and misty on Tuesday, particularly over eastern parts of the country, but it should clear up and for the most part be sunny.
Struggling on: Even with an umbrella or their hoods up, these walkers still got soaked as they crossed Lambeth Bridge
'It will be a dry start on Wednesday, although there will be fog around Wales. Temperatures will be much the same although it could freeze over night in the south-west. There is a chance of light showers on Thursday, but Friday looks like it will be quite a dry sunny day.'
The annual mood-killer, dubbed 'Blue Monday', tends to fall on the third Monday of January as the New Year cheer wears off and the comforting warmth of summer seems like a very distant prospect.
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