UK weather: Exact date 'painful' Arctic freeze will finally end as Britain warms up

After shivering through sub-zero temperatures in an Arctic spell, Brits will be relieved to hear milder weather will be here again in a few days.

Millions have been hit with major travel disruption and school closures this week after parts of the country were blanketed in several inches of snow and black ice, with temperatures dropping as low as -15C.

The deep freeze set in in the middle of last week, and while weather experts have predicted it will continue throughout this week, the end is finally in sight.

Yellow warnings are in place for Scotland, the North East and the South East and East Anglia today, and will last in the North until noon on Thursday.

A couple talk a walk in Greenwich Park, London, where snow and ice has hit the capital this week (Victoria Jones/PA)

London and the South East will stay chilly throughout the week, but temperatures will climb again and become much milder by the weekend, with relatively balmy highs of 11C and rain expected on Sunday.

British Weather Services meteorologist Jim Dale has also offered some hope for those fed up of the biting cold of recent days.

He said: "It's going to be less painful but still freezing. Emphasis shifts back to Scotland for snow events.

"It is slowly becoming less cold with time from the south west by the weekend.

A weather warning for snow and ice is in place for Scotland and the North East until Thursday, with milder temperatures forecast for the weekend (Owen Humphreys/PA)

"It will only be the odd well-scattered snow shower, no repeats of London and co just yet."

The forecast is similar for the South West, West Midlands and Wales, with showers forecast on Saturday and Sunday as the mercury begins to creep back up to 8-12C.

For Northern England, which has mostly stayed untouched by snow, the week will also remain chilly and bright but with milder temperatures by the weekend.

Trains across the country have been hit by delays and cancellations (Gareth Fuller/PA)

Manchester and Leeds will see showers on Saturday with highs of 8-9C, while the North East stays covered by warnings for snow and ice this week before thawing into slightly warmer temperatures and showers at the weekend.

Weather in Scotland won't rise much above zero throughout this week, the Met Office says, although Scots will see thermometers climb above freezing again by Friday with temperatures in Glasgow, Aberdeen and Edinburgh between 3-6C by Sunday.