Forget the big freeze ... forecasters predict 14C!

AFTER a spell of frozen days and frosty nights, the January freeze will have fizzled out by tomorrow.

Forecaster John Griffiths, of MeteoGroup, said: ‘After the cold spell we’ve had, it’s going to feel noticeably warmer – and stay mild for the next few days.

‘In fact by the end of the weekend it will be slightly warmer in the North, at least at night, due to the South’s proximity to colder conditions on the Continent.’

In southern and central England, today’s raw 6C to 7C (43F to 4 F) will be replaced by an unseasonably warm 14C ( 7F), while Wales and northern areas will see a similar turnaround from C (41F) to 10C ( 0F). It is a far cry from the

‘Noticeably warmer’

last few days, which after the weekend’s widespread snowfall saw thermometer readings fall below -12C (10F) in parts of Scotland on Tuesday.

An area of low pressure in the Atlantic is bringing warm, wet air up from the South West and insulating Britain from chillier weather on the Continent.

Forecasters said temperatures could hit 1 C ( 9F) in London and the South East by the end of the weekend.

The icy start to the year meant the Government’s cold weather payments scheme was triggered for the first time this winter.

Almost £2million has been handed out in Britain this month.

The money is automatically paid in areas covered by one of 93 weather stations around the UK when the average temperature drops, or is forecast to drop, to freezing seven days in a row.

The first payments were made in the first week of January as the weather turned frosty following the mildest December since 1934.

Four years ago, almost £129million had to be paid out, falling to £11million last winter.