Cold snap coming to an end

13 January 2009 05:36am

Britain's weather defied tradition as rising temperatures finally put an end to the country's cold snap.

According to Medieval legend, January 13 - better known as St Hilary's Day - brings the coldest day of the year.

But after the country plunged to lows of minus 12C last week, parts of the south-east were soaring towards relatively balmy temperatures.

Paul Mott, a forecaster with MeteoGroup, the weather division of the Press Association, said he expected temperatures to peak at 12C.

He added: "We are seeing very ordinary weather today. No sign of any coldest days of the year."

The thaw started on Sunday with the warmest reading in the Scilly Isles, where a relatively balmy 9.5C was recorded.

Temperatures had been so low last week that the fountains in Trafalgar Square had frozen.

St Hilary was a fourth century Bishop of Poitiers.

© The Press Association