Winter really is here! Much of Britain wakes to a white-out as December begins with -5C chills but topsy-turvy weather will bring a warmer weekend of double-figure temperatures

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Britons are looking forward to a warmer weekend after the first day of winter today, with forecasters saying the current cold spell is 'almost on its way out'.

The country was hit by one of the coldest nights of the year so far last night with temperatures falling to -5.3C (22F) in Benson, Oxfordshire, but they could rise to 9C (48F) in parts of southern England this afternoon.

And temperatures could make it into double figures (10C/50F) by the weekend, with the South West of England, West Wales and the Far North of Scotland expected to enjoy the mildest conditions on Saturday and Sunday.

A warm front is moving across the UK from today, bringing some rain and drizzle and increasing amounts of cloud - but, tonight, 3C (37F) is expected in London, as well as 2C (36F) in Southampton and Manchester.

The Met Office had an ice warning in place until this morning for the eastern coast of Britain from the Highlands down to Lincolnshire, warning of slippery stretches affecting some untreated roads, pavements and cycle paths.

Council workers use a snowblower and a plough to clear a road near Consett in County Durham this morning

A woman walks her dog through York Museum Gardens in North Yorkshire today, which is covered in a dusting of snow

St Mary's Abbey in York sits proudly today among a frosty landscape following a pretty dusting of snow

A shepherd and his dog make their way through pristine snow near Edmunbyers in County Durham this morning

Huge waves on the North East coast at Seaham today as Britons woke up to slightly warmer temperatures today

A glorious view of the Blackmount across Lochan na Achlaise Rannoch Moore today in Glen Coe, Scotland

However, snow showers seen across eastern England yesterday will probably melt away through the course of today, while the majority of showers over the area are now expected to fall as rain and sleet.

Meanwhile, police in Durham and Darlington warned snow and ice were still affecting some areas this morning, making driving conditions in the North East of England hazardous.

Among the cold spots last night were Trawsgoed in Ceredigion, West Wales, which fell to -5C (23F), Katesbridge in County Down to -4C (24F), Strathallan in Perth to -3C (27F) and Bridgefoot in Cumbria to -2C (28F).

Meteorologist Craig Snell said: 'For the rest of today, it's a less cold day. It's still going to be nippy out there, especially across England and Wales, but there is plenty of drier weather to be had away from eastern counties. 

'It will be increasingly cloudy across Scotland and Northern Ireland with outbreaks of rain. That will gradually move south-eastwards as we go through the course of the evening tonight.' 

Temperatures were forecast to have fallen to -8C last night (left), while ice is forecast for some areas this morning (right)

Motorists face dangerous road conditions as they drive through Consett in County Durham this morning

Residents armed with shovels dig out snow from their roadside drive following heavy snowfall in Castleside, County Durham

Council workers clear snow near Consett in County Durham this morning after a blanket of the white stuff fell on Britain

He warned southern areas could be in for a cold night, with temperatures possibly falling below freezing and bringing an early frost, but it is expected to be a milder night for northern parts, especially Northern Ireland.

The meteorological winter begins today and will run until the end of February. Looking ahead, Mr Snell said the picture looked less cold for the weekend, especially at night, with cloudier skies.

He said: 'Friday night for many won't be as cold. It will still be a cold night across southern areas because we will still be in the cold air by that stage.

'The weekend will be certainly less cold ... but a lot of us will be losing the lovely blue skies we've been used to the last couple of days.

'There will be much more cloud in the sky and there will be some outbreaks of rain primarily in northern and western areas, with temperatures climbing into double figures by Sunday probably in the south east of the UK, especially. 

Analeese Buckley, four, makes her way to school this morning through the thick frost in the Lancashire town of Bacup

Three women walk through heavy snowfall in Consett, County Durham, this morning on the first day of meteorological winter

Snow-covered homes of New Marske, East Cleveland, this morning as parts of Britain remain under a white blanket

A major accident on the A1M near Bramham in West Yorkshire left a lorry hanging over the edge of a bridge this morning

A thrillseeker makes the most of the snow on the North York Moors by travelling on a snowboard behind a Land Rover today

A layer of frost and snow sits over parts of Saddleworth in Greater Manchester this morning as winter officially begins

Council workers use a snowblower in Consett, County Durham, today as heavy snowfall sweeps across northern England.

'All in all it's a gradual warming up trend as we go into the weekend.'

The Met Office has issued an ice warning for this morning

He added: 'We will be picking up a bit more cloud than we have been used to and there will also be the risk of rain at times across western and northern parts of the country.

'That general milder scene will continue as we go into the early and mid part of next week. The risk of frost is beginning to decrease and it looks like this cold spell is almost on its way out.'

The coldest night of autumn, which finished yesterday, was last Saturday when Topcliffe in North Yorkshire fell to -6.3C (20.6F).

The coldest night of 2017 so far was January 30 when Braemar, Aberdeenshire, fell as low as -10.1C (13.8F). And last November the coldest night was November 21 when a temperature of -12.1C (10.2F) was recorded in Braemar.

Yesterday, snow carpeted parts of the North and the East, while even London had a flurry. The wintry conditions, on the last day of autumn, caused disruption to transport - and led to a sharp rise in bets on a white Christmas.

Worst hit was North Yorkshire, with reports of up to 4in of snow. 

The A171 was blocked near Whitby, where passengers on a stranded double-decker bus made light of the situation by disembarking for a snowball fight.

Other roads across the North York Moors were closed as the icy conditions made steep gradients treacherous. There were several crashes as drivers lost control of their vehicles.

Residents armed with shovels dig out snow from their drive today following heavy snowfall in Castleside, County Durham

Cars drive through heavy snowfall in Consett, County Durham, this morning on the first day of meteorological winter

A herd of stags in a blizzard of snow at Whitworth Hall, County Durham, today as snowfall sweeps across northern England

A majestic stag stands in a blizzard of snow at Whitworth Hall in County Durham this morning amid the severe weather

A pedestrian is wrapped up warm with an umbrella in the severe conditions sweeping across County Durham this morning

Two men are watched by a dog as they dig out snow from their roadside drive in Castleside, County Durham, this morning

One motorist said: 'It's completely gridlocked. A wagon couldn't get up [the hill] and everything came to a standstill.' Farmers and council workers with snowploughs tried to help commuters dig their cars free.

Walker Phillip Leverinton, 51, reported 4in of snow at The Lion Inn at Blakey Ridge, one of Britain's highest pubs at 1,325ft above sea level. 'We were out visiting the pub when the snow just got heavier and heavier,' he said. Dozens of schools were shut across the county.

Beaches along the East Coast from Scarborough to Suffolk were covered and there were reports of thundersnow – an unusual combination of a thunderstorm and snow – near Newcastle.

The rare sight of snow falling, although not settling, in London had workers rushing to take photos and posting jokes online about how the city would cope.

A man is pictured from a Land Rover being pulled down a snowy road on the North York Moors on his snowboard today

Thick frost and icy roads make driving conditions difficult for vehicles this morning in Bacup, Lancashire

A man de-ices his car this morning in Bacup, Lancashire, as parts of Britain continue to experience slippery road conditions

Drivers take extra care as they make their way along an icy road in the Lancashire town of Bacup this morning

Motorists still face difficult driving conditions in Saddleworth, Greater Manchester, following the snowfall in recent days

Snow in the North Yorkshire market town of Leyburn this morning as parts of Britain continue to see wintry conditions

While daytime temperatures were above freezing in most parts, northerly winds of 15 to 20mph that have been blowing across Britain for the past few days made it feel as low as -3C (27F).

Betting on a white Christmas has more than doubled in the past two days as a result of the cold weather, bookies say.

William Hill was last night offering odds of 2/1 for snowfall on Christmas Day in Aberdeen, Belfast, Edinburgh and Glasgow, 4/1 in Leeds and Newcastle, and 6/1 in London and Manchester.

The Met Office said the weather for the second half of December remains uncertain but 'snow is likely at times'.