UK weather: Warmer conditions to give respite from ice and snow as January draws to a close

Warmer weather is forecast for the final few days of January, after northerly parts of the UK suffered disruption from snow and ice.

Milder temperatures will comes as a relief for commuters in Scotland, who were hit with travel chaos thanks to wintry conditions on Tuesday.

Police told commuters to leave extra time for their journeys and to drive carefully over icy roads, while the Met Office issued warnings over transport delays throughout the morning due to ice and snow.

Parts of the M74 were closed to motorists overnight, with some telling social media they were stranded on the motorway for several hours as freezing conditions disrupted travel.

People can expect to see a change in weather on Wednesday, which will be “milder and less chilly” than Tuesday, according to Nicola Maxey, a Met Office spokesperson.

Images also showed blankets of snow covering parts of northern England, where temperatures are also expected to rise from tomorrow.

However, there is still "a chance that rain could turn to snow over higher ground in Scotland and northern England on Wednesday”, according to Ms Maxey.

Showers are forecast for Scotland and the north of England on Wednesday, although the rest of the country can expect dry weather, she said.

Temperatures across the UK will rise to double digits towards the end of the week, with Friday being a particularly warm day, according to the Met Office.

Most of England was forecast to fall around 3C to 5C on Tuesday, warming to between 7C and 9C on Wednesday.

Meanwhile, the south can expect highs of 13 C on Thursday and Friday, according to the Met Office forecast.

Average temperatures for the start of February usually hover just above 7C, according to Ms Maxey.

London could be as warm as 14C as the weekend approaches, she said.

Scotland is also forecast to see an end to freezing temperatures over the course of the week, with ice and snow weather warnings ending around 11am on Tuesday.