UK weather: 'Coldest night of the year' tonight as freezing temperatures plummet to -10C

Snow fell on Boxing Day in Scotland and northern parts of England

Lamiat Sabin
Sunday 28 December 2014 11:46 GMT
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A double-decker bus travels over Standedge between snow-covered fields at dusk near the village of Diggle, northern England, on December 27 2014
A double-decker bus travels over Standedge between snow-covered fields at dusk near the village of Diggle, northern England, on December 27 2014

Temperatures are set to plunge over the next 24 hours with tonight forecast to be the coldest of the year so far with lows down to -10C and the likelihood of ice.

The freezing climate caused by high-pressure sweeping over from Iceland will hold the country in a bitterly-cold snap until at least Wednesday with clear and crisp nights expected.

Drivers are warned of icy dangerous travel conditions for the whole country with night-time lows of -3C expected in the south, -8C in the northern parts and -10C in the Scottish valleys.

Tonight is expected to beat the record of the current coldest night of the year, which was two days ago on 26 December in Braemar, Scotland, where the mercury hit -8.5C. The rest of the UK is also likely to experience the lowest temperatures on record for 2014.

Met Office forecaster Simon Partridge said: “The very low temperatures in Scotland indicate that it will definitely be the coldest night of the year so far.”

During today and the upcoming few days, it is forecast to be mainly dry for most of the UK with bright spells of sunshine and a sharp frost developing with freezing fog patches. This is a contrast to Boxing Day where parts of northern England and Scotland were blanketed with thick layers of snow.

Motorists were also forced to abandon their cars on Friday night due to the driving conditions and more than 100,000 homes had power-cuts due to snow on electricity cables.

This morning has been frosty with some mist and rain clouds lingering over the eastern coastal areas and cities including York, Peterborough and Norwich. Wintry showers could fall there during the night.

Met Office forecaster Alex Burkhill said: “Do take care if you are travelling and be aware that there could be disruption to your journey.”

The sunshine, which also brings below-average temperatures of around 5C to 6C in the south and not above freezing in Scotland, will continue until at least tomorrow.

Flood warnings in Anglia are also in force as heavy rain yesterday has caused the River Nene to rise to levels which could cause localised flooding at North Bank Road.

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