Temperatures plummeted to -13.9C overnight on Saturday – but the current cold snap is coming to an end, according to the Met Office. The mercury has barely been above zero in parts of Scotland over the last few days.
Altnaharra in Sutherland recorded -18.9C on Friday, the coldest January night in 15 years. And last night, the UK-wide low of -13.9C was seen in Kinbrace, about 20 miles east of Altnaharra.
The Met Office revealed Cavendish, Suffolk, experienced -7.8C while it was -2.2C in Hawarden Airport in Wales. The average low in northern Scotland for this time of year is about 0.3C, while for England, overnight lows are about 1.5C to 1.6C.
Freezing fog is in place in areas of south east England and Northern Ireland, which will take the morning to clear, and could cause icy conditions, Met Office meteorologist Greg Dewhurst said. The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has extended its cold weather health alert for all of England until Tuesday.
But despite it being a bone-chilling weekend, things are looking up. On Sunday, temperatures might reach 2C or 3C in the south east, while areas across the far west could see 6C to 9C, and for the vast majority it will be between 5C and 7C, which Mr Dewhurst said was “generally on the chilly side”.
Things will get milder overnight into Monday, with parts of Northern Ireland and western Scotland forecast to see temperatures of around 9c or 10C. However, much of the country will still be subzero, between -1C and -3C.
Next week is set to start with a north and south split with the temperatures and weather, with Northern Ireland and the northern half of the country cloudy with outbreaks patchy rain and between 9C and 12C, while the central and southern areas drier and between 5C and 8C.
Tuesday will be similar, but potentially drier with temperatures between 11-12C in the north and 8-9C in the south. Mr Dewhurst said: “(It will be) back to average temperatures generally for the time of year.”
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