After the freeze, now we rival south of France!

FOLLOWING the big freeze, temperatures are rising rapidly across the UK.

After barely getting above zero for days, it is set to be 11C (52F) in southern England today – on a par with Marseille in the south of France and warmer than the Italian port of Genoa.

And some areas could even reach 12C (54F) by tomorrow.

The rising temperatures, however, bring an increased risk of flooding.

‘There is a likelihood of quite a lot of surface water around from snow melting over the coming days,’ said Met Office meteorologist Emma Sillitoe. ‘There could also be some coastal flooding in southern England.’

The risk of flooding due to higher than normal tides remains for coastal towns and villages around parts of the south coast, south- west England and the Severn and Wye estuaries today.

Melting snow has already caused floods on roads in the South and South-West.

And the A379 coastal road in Devon was partially closed after being hit by 16ft waves from Storm Emma.

On the railways, many operators were running a reduced service yesterday and Great Western Railway routes in Wiltshire and Dorset were closed due to flooded tracks. Other lines were blocked due to snow and ice in the North.

The cold snap is expected to have caused a ‘huge rise’ in excess winter deaths, according to a charity which campaigns against fuel poverty. National Energy Action told The Sunday Telegraph that while an average of 80 people have died per day over the last five years, up to 100 could have died daily during the freezing conditions.

At least 14 deaths have so far been attributed to the cold spell. Several, including a girl of seven, were victims of road crashes.

Miss Sillitoe said it will be quite a lot milder over the coming week, with temperatures slightly above average, as winds have switched from easterly to south and southwesterly. She said many areas will see rain sweeping in but snow will become confined to the Scottish mountains and possibly some of the Welsh hills.