UK weather: big freeze continues as temperatures drop to -13C overnight and snow and ice warnings persist

The big freeze is continuing to grip the country, with temperatures plummeting once again overnight to -13C.

A brisk front of Arctic air has continued to move across the country, dropping the mercury once again. According to provisional figures from the Met Office, -13C was felt in Glen Ogle in central Scotland, marking the coldest night of winter so far.

The meteorological service had predicted that the mercury could have dropped to -15C overnight, which would have made it the coldest night since January 2010, when the Scottish Highlands hamlet of Altnaharra recorded -22.3C. Altnaharra previously held the record for coldest temperature this winter also, at -12.5C.

A Met Office spokeswoman explained that the consistently plunging temperatures comes as the cold snap persists. She said: “It’s due to the prolonged nature of this cold spell, it will have been lasting for quite a few days.

“A build up of snow, as well, just allows for the temperatures to get colder and colder and we don’t often see a cold spell last three to five days. The air is coming directly from the Arctic, so it is exceptionally cold air."

It comes as snow and ice warnings remain in place for large swathes of the country. On Wednesday (January 17), a yellow snow and ice warning for Northern Ireland and parts of northern Scotland remains in place until midnight, while an ice warning is in place for southern Scotland until 12pm.

There is also a yellow warning for snow and ice until 12pm for northern England and North Wales. Many of the same areas are covered by warnings going into Thursday (January 18), however the eastern coast of Scotland and England are set to fair much better, as well as southern parts of Northern Ireland.