Britain enjoys respite from Big Freeze... but snow is set to return midweek

Road or river? A beer barrel floats by the Kings Arms pub in York today as water levels in the River Ouse rose as warmer temperatures melted the recent snowfall


Britain has been enjoying a temporary reprieve this weekend from the freezing weather that has blighted the start of 2010 - but forecasters have warned that the rise in temperatures will be short-lived.

The milder weather looks like being a short-term respite for some areas as more snow is on the way within days and the icy conditions could even last until April.

Warmer conditions and widespread rain have thawed much of the snow which fell earlier this week and today has been a couple of degrees warmer than yesterday.

Some areas - including York - were hit by flooding as river levels rose due to thawing snow with temperatures reaching as high as 10C or 11C in some areas.

Forecaster Paul Mott of MeteoGroup said: 'Temperatures have risen this weekend, compared to recent days, and today has been a fine day over much of the UK, with some sunshine in many areas.'

He said temperatures would be highest in the west and south west regions of the UK, with the temperature in London expected to reach around 9C, compared with a high of 7C yesterday.

But the long-awaited thaw could be in vain, as the mercury is expected to plummet early next week and more snow could be on it's way.

Mr Mott said: 'It looks like it will turn colder in the mid-part of the week and there is a risk of some wet snow looking ahead to Tuesday night and Wednesday.

'There is rain coming from the west and we are expecting that to be preceded by snow in central England and north Wales.'


That's more like it: A runner enjoys the morning sunshine on Plymouth Hoe, Devon, today. After weeks of snow and freezing weather, temperatures in some parts of Britain reached double figures over the weekend


Those areas could see 2-5cm of snowfall, which could be as deep as 10cm over higher ground.

Mr Mott also warned that despite the daylight hours getting warmer the nights remain cold and frosty, creating hazardous conditions for motorists.

'Although the days are getting milder the nights are still cold and there will certainly be a risk of some ice,' he said.

Scotland and North England are not expected to see any snow next week, although it will still be a few degrees colder.

South England could turn milder again by next weekend as warm air hits the south-west and comes up against cold air from the east.

Another forecasting organisation, Positive Weather Solutions, said winter could have 'a sting in the tail', with snow and low temperatures at the start of April leaving the North East and Scotland looking 'like a Christmas picture postcard'.


Warmer climate: Holly Golden (left) and Melissa Grey, both 19, enjoy an ice cream on Plymouth Hoe


Localised flooding blighted parts of the UK yesterday leading to a number of road closures in Scotland, which was also hit by snow and high winds this morning.

There were five flood warnings in place across Scotland yesterday, and 15 areas were under flood watch.

In the Strathclyde area the A76 was closed between Cumnock and New Cumnock due to flooding while the M74 was shut in both directions between J11 (Poneil) and J14 (Crawford).

The ski range in Glencoe was also shut due to high winds.

At the other end of the country, a Premier League football match between Portsmouth FC and Birmingham City FC was postponed after the pitch at Portsmouth's Fratton Park ground became waterlogged.


Precaution: Environment agency workers erect flood barriers in Upton Upon Severn, Worcestershire


Weather experts said localised flooding was caused by a combination of factors. In some areas the ground remains frozen beneath the surface, meaning excess water will run into rivers instead of being absorbed by the soil.

The situation has been compounded by the rainfall, which was heaviest in eastern England and Scotland.

Throughout central England the thaw caused hundreds of water pipes to burst and leak.

Severn Trent Water, which provides water to a huge swathe of England and parts of Wales, said it had drafted in extra staff as frozen pipes began to thaw.

Fraser Pithie, senior operations manager at the company, said: 'We've brought in extra staff at our Leicester customer service centre to deal with the reports.

'We're working around the clock to respond as quickly as possible to all the calls we're getting, and carry out any repairs needed on our water mains.'

He said the firm had been called out to more than 470 bursts since Monday and call centre staff had taken more than 10,000 calls.


Motoring misery: Melting snow and heavy rain sparked flood warnings after many stretches of road were left underwater yesterday, including this one in Edinburgh


Severn Trent Water serves more than eight million customers, stretching from the Bristol Channel to the Humber, and from mid-Wales to the East Midlands.

In London, police were still waiting on the results of a post-mortem examination to establish the cause of death of a woman whose body was found on Friday next to a pond in the capital's Kensington Gardens. She has not yet been named.

Reports speculated that she froze to death after falling in the pond before pulling herself out.

Police say they are treating her death as 'unexplained'.


source: dailymail