Plunging temperatures herald arrival of winter

It's time to hunt out your hat, scarf and gloves. Winter has arrived.

The UK suffered an incredibly cold night and people were forced to wrap up against temperatures well below freezing.

The coldest place was Chesham, Buckinghamshire, where the mercury fell to -5.7C (21.7F).

It was below freezing in many places across the country, with the coldest spots in low lying areas.

"It's pretty cold for this time of year," said Tom Tobler, forecaster with MeteoGroup, the weather division of the Press Association.

"For minimum temperatures the average for October is 6C to 7C (43F to 45F).

"You get these cold spells when there are northerly winds bringing cold air. When it's clear the temperatures fall fairly rapidly.

"It will be a fairly chilly day today but not especially cold. Tonight won't be as cold as last night."

A woman died in Widnes, Cheshire, yesterday morning after becoming trapped underneath her car while attempting to defrost it.

A police spokesman said: "Inquiries suggest she was defrosting her car when it is thought to have started and rolled backwards, dragging her under the front wheels."

Tomorrow the forecast is for rain across Scotland but mostly dry elsewhere. On Saturday, more unsettled weather with wind and heavy rain is forecast.