End of bitter cold snap in sight (From Lancashire Telegraph)

End of bitter cold snap in sight

2:53am Sunday 12th February 2012 in National News © Press Association 2011

The end of the cold snap is in sight, with the mercury finally rising slightly after several days of record-breaking sub-zero temperatures, according to forecasters.

Cloud cover moving down the country from the north will bring much-welcome slightly warmer weather, after several days and nights of bitterly cold weather.

Temperatures struggled to get above freezing on Saturday after Britain endured its coldest night of the winter on Friday night.

But Paul Knightley, forecaster for MeteoGroup, the weather division of the Press Association, said the cold spell was coming to an end - although it could take some time.

He said: "We are coming to the end of the cold spell. It's going to be a slow process, it's not going to suddenly be massively mild. Some places will see a dramatic change in temperature but it may not be something people necessarily notice because they have been so low."

He said cloud spreading down the country from the north would bring a rise in temperature and some patchy drizzle and light snow in some parts. "The snow itself is not going to be near the amounts we have seen but there will be some drizzle which will fall on to very cold ground so we will see the risk of some ice, especially in untreated areas."

The mercury plummeted to minus 18.3C (minus 0.94F) in Chesham, Buckinghamshire, on Friday night, while sub-zero temperatures were recorded in other areas, as low as minus 15.6C (3.92F) in Holbeach, Lincolnshire, and minus 11C (12.2F) in Charnwood, Surrey.

The Met Office said Friday had probably been the coldest night in England since December 2010.

It has issued a "yellow" severe weather warning instructing people to "be aware" of ice on roads for the East Midlands, east of England, London and south east England.

The weather wreaked havoc with Saturday's sporting calendar after a number of matches and racing fixtures fell victim to frozen conditions, with some of Sunday's matches also cancelled, including the opening round of rugby league's Northern Rail Cup.