AN ARMY of snowmen could be the key to preventing homes from flooding when the snow and ice melts, it has been reported.

Mild air is set to come in over the weekend and lift temperatures to a high of around 10C on Sunday, according to Meteogroup, the weather division of the Press Association.

Rain crossing the country, coupled with melting snow could potentially cause minor localised flooding, the Environment Agency said.

It brought advice from the Agency that people should keep building snowmen, as the compacted structures stay cold for longer and could help regulate the flow of water.

Roy Stokes, from the Agency, was reported as saying: "Ideally, if everybody built themselves a snowman that will slow the thaw down a bit.

"If you notice, when people clear their drive the snow thaws away but the compacted piles stay which will give a balanced thaw, which would be helpful."

A spokeswoman later said that building a snowman would have a limited impact on the rate of thawing.

"When snow is compacted, as it is when you build a snowman or drive over it in a car park for example, it melts at a slower rate," she said.

"But while building snowmen is great fun, sadly it is unlikely to make a significant difference to the overall rate at which the snow melts across the country and won't protect your home from flooding."