High temperatures and summer sunshine are set to last until early next week before heavy showers return to the region.

Homes were damaged and drivers narrowly avoided crashes when trees uprooted and came crashing down after being battered by high winds across the region.

Motorists will end up with higher maintenance bills because roads will go unrepaired amid budget cuts, MPs warned today.

A severe weather warning was today issued for the West Midlands, with heavy snow expected to blanket the region over the weekend.

Temperatures in the region are set to plunge as low as -4C (25F) this week as Arctic winds send a shudder down the spine of the British Isles.

Fierce storms are set to lash the Midlands tomorrow with gale-force winds of up to 80mph and heavy rain predicted to cause misery for millions of people returning to work.

Strong winds will continue to batter the Midlands until the new year, forecasters said today.

Heavy snow is on the way to the Midlands tonight as the first big freeze of winter arrives. Forecasters say an icy blast will turn rain to snow.

Stafford Rangers were today keeping their “fingers crossed” that Saturday’s postponement of their league fixture at Buxton is not a sign of things to come.

What a difference a year makes. This time last year snow was falling on the West Midlands for the first time, as the region entered one of the most severe winters in living memory.