UK cold snap eases as 'warm' front books in for weekend A frozen view of Rannoch Moor, Scotland. Photograph: Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images Temperatures are expected to remain chilly in the UK on Thursday before rain and gales arrive, bringing an end to the cold snap. It will be mainly bright and dry in the UK on Thursday with conditions easing after ice and fog disrupted dozens of flights at Heathrow and London City airports on Wednesday, according to the Met Office. But freezing fog patches will be slow to clear in north-east England, Yorkshire and Humber, and the East Midlands. Severe weather warnings remain in place, warning of icy driving conditions in the Scottish Highlands and snow in Strathclyde in the morning. Temperatures will again drop below zero in most of the country before the mercury starts to creep up in the early hours of Friday, continuing into the weekend. The Met Office chief forecaster Martin Young said: "We will see a significant change in our weather as a deep Atlantic weather system brings heavy rain and strong to gale force winds for the end of the week." Gusts of 45mph are expected quite widely with winds of up to 65mph possible on exposed coasts and hills in the north and east. The Environment Agency has issued four flood warnings, all in the south-west, parts of which are still recovering from last month's heavy rains. Temperatures are expected to move into double figures in the south on Friday, with the relatively mild weather continuing into the weekend. The Met Office expects bright and breezy conditions over the weekend with sunny spells and showers, with the rain mainly affecting the west.