Met Office weather forecast predicts when the cold snap could break with milder conditions on their way

It's been a miserable start to January 2024 with bitter temperatures, snowfall and ice warnings in areas across the country.

Storm Henk was the first storm of the year to wreak havoc on some regions. Cold health alerts have been in place by the UKHSA since early January with the latest due to last until January 18.

Likewise, a new yellow warning is in place for snow and ice in northern Scotland and Northern Ireland from Sunday January 14 through to Monday January 15. But could our luck be about to turn?

The Met Office's long-range forecast, looking at the period from Tuesday January 16 to Thursday January 25, says: "Cold with wintry showers affecting northwestern coasts, with showers moving inland especially in the north, clearer in the south. Potential for more persistent snow through Tuesday in the northwest. There is risk of unsettled weather pushing in from the south through midweek, potentially leading to areas of snow and sleet where it meets the colder air across the country."

However there is a chance for milder conditions towards next weekend. It says: "Widespread frosts continue by night with wintry showers from the northwest between further potential pulses of snow as weather fronts move in from the west, these likely drawing in milder conditions by next weekend."

In an even further forecast, the Met Office has predicted that while the threat of snow and ice may subside, strong winds could be starting to move in from the last week in January into early February. The forecast reads: "Through this period, the greatest likelihood is that high pressure will remain the more dominant influence on the weather, most likely centred somewhere to the northwest of the UK, with winds from the north or north-east perhaps more frequent than usual, with generally reduced amounts of precipitation."