Warmer weather set to follow snow

Warmer weather will return to the UK on Thursday after the snow is replaced by rain.

Snow hit much of the country on Wednesday and a light dusting is expected in London and the South East early on Wednesday evening, but it will quickly be followed by rain.

That will pave the way for much milder temperatures on Thursday, forecasters said.

The mercury could rise as high as 12C (54F) in the South West, 11C (52F) in London and 9C (48F) in the North, the Midlands and Scotland on Thursday.

The Met Office still has severe weather warnings in place for much of Scotland, the North and the Midlands, but none are in place for Thursday.

Northern Ireland's mild weather is expected to continue.

John Lee, forecaster for the Press Association's weather division MeteoGroup, said: "It has gone pretty much according to plan. There is a great large area of snow across the country but it is being quite quickly followed by the rain in the west. So areas that are having snow - it will turn into rain tonight.

"The South East has remained mostly dry so far but there will be a small amount of snow in the early evening which will be quickly followed by rain. The heaviest of the snow has been further North, over higher ground."

The heaviest snow fell in Scotland with just under 3in (7cm) in western areas, as of midday on Wednesday. But because much of the snow fell across England after midday, current figures do not show much falling so far.

The Environment Agency has seven flood warnings in place - three in the Midlands, two in the South West and two in East Anglia, and 81 less serious flood alerts, mainly in the South East.