The UK can expect a respite from the freezing weather, forecasters have predicted.
The news comes as the Army was brought in to help clear snow and ice in Edinburgh.
A team of five soldiers were drawn in to clear access to a hospital
boiler house in preparation for a fuel delivery, while others helped
move snow and ice at a residential home to allow medicine and food to be
delivered.
Temperatures are expected to rise to 3C-5C across the UK this afternoon (Thursday) and could increase to 8C on Friday.
BBC weather forecaster Daniel Corbett said there would be a “subtle change” as cold Arctic
air was replaced by warmer conditions from the Atlantic.
But the Met Office is still warning drivers to be careful on icy roads.
The M8, which links Edinburgh and Glasgow, reopened yesterday after treacherous weather closed the route for two days, forcing hundreds of drivers to abandon their cars.
But many independent Scottish petrol stations have had to close because bad weather has disrupted their supply chain, and they have been unable to get petrol into pumps.
Scottish Transport Minister Stewart Stevenson told MSPs he has accepted responsibility for the chaos.
Meanwhile, East Coast rail services remain suspended north and west of Edinburgh, with no trains to and from Aberdeen, Inverness and Glasgow.
Flights are still disrupted to and from Glasgow and Edinburgh airports, so travellers should check with their airline before going to the airport.
