UK weather: It was so cold that the sea froze over – but it will soon get ever so slightly warmer

The harbour in Cumbria was covered in thick sheets of ice

The Whitehaven Marina in Cumbria froze on Wednesday 4 February 2015 (Facebook)

A cold snap has swathed the UK in such bitterly cold conditions that the sea had even frozen over, however temperatures are set to get ever so slightly warmer over the weekend.

Whitehaven Marina, in the Lake District area of Cumbria, was found covered in a layer of ice for much of Wednesday before it had slowly melted away.

Docked boats and seagulls were pictured amid the thick sheets of shattered ice in the Irish Sea after temperatures plummeted to below freezing overnight and during the early hours of Thursday morning.

Temperatures lower than average have been made to feel worse by widespread frost and icy winds for much of this week, especially in the south and east of England, and snow has blanketed many parts of the country.

Lows of around 4C-6C will be felt nationwide today however the bitter breeze from Scandinavia has been making the climate in the south feel more like -3C or -4C, the Met Office said.

Clear skies and sunshine will make today bright in the south of England, despite the biting winds. The north is set to feel warmer in comparison but with some widespread patches of cloud.

A Met Office spokesman told The Independent: “A fairly strong breeze will have a marked wind chill effect in the south of England today, especially in the south east.”

A car makes its way through snow on the Yorkshire Moors on Wednesday (PA)

On Saturday, the south will remain colder than the north with average temperatures of 5C compared to 6C, with Scotland and Northern Ireland feeling highs of around 8C.

Sunday is set to be the same as tomorrow, with winds subsiding by next week – according to the Met Office.