Met Office warns to watch out for icy surfaces and to prepare for longer journey times

The wintry weather that has led to stranded travellers abandoning cars in freezing temperatures continued on Sunday after the coldest night in England so far this winter, when a low of -11.7C (10.9F) was recorded at Chillingham Barns in Northumberland.

After a week of snow and sleet, milder temperatures look set to return to most of the UK on Monday, although new warnings have been issued by forecasters.

Snow across parts of Scotland could lead to disruption by Monday morning while central and eastern parts of the country will wake up to patchy frost. Throughout the day, the rain will continue to clear, with wind in the north and showers over parts of Scotland where yellow warnings remain in place.

Facebook Twitter Pinterest Cyclists carry their bikes through snow in Walderslade, Kent. Photograph: Gareth Fuller/PA

The rest of the week will be “generally less cold than of late”, according to the Met Office, although there will be rain for some areas.

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It warned that there is a risk people could injure themselves by slipping on icy surfaces on untreated pavements and cycle paths. It added that some roads and railways are likely to be affected, with longer journey times for passengers on bus and train services.

In Scotland, a low of -12.6C (9.3F) was recorded at Braemar in the Highlands, although it was a few degrees off the -15.4C reported on Thursday. Elsewhere on Sunday morning, the coldest spot in Wales was at Swyddffynnon in Dyfed, where it was -6.5C (20.3F), while in Northern Ireland the lowest temperature recorded was -2.6C (27.3F) in Katesbridge, Co Down.

Facebook Twitter Pinterest Lorries and cars in the snow on the A6 near the village of Shap in Cumbria. Photograph: Owen Humphreys/PA

Throughout the week, many parts of the country have been hit by snowfall. In Wiltshire, “snow rollers” – a rare natural phenomenon that gives the impression wheels of snow have formed on their own – were captured by a forestry worker in photos on Saturday.

Although the worker thought they had been manmade, he realised there were no footprints. It is believed the rollers are formed when ideal wind conditions blow bundles of snow along, gathering more along the way.

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On the same day, reports of drivers stuck on some routes in the early hours emerged, with issues reported on main roads in Kent and Hampshire. One motorist told the BBC he was forced to eat snow off the roof of his car after he became trapped on the M3.

Snow caused widespread disruption on Friday when hundreds of drivers were stranded, air and rail journeys were cancelled and more than 1,000 schools across the country were closed.