UK weather: Temperatures plummeted to -10C as new snow and ice warnings issued

Weather warnings are in place across the UK as temperatures plunged below freezing overnight.

Snow hit parts of London on Friday and the icy conditions are forecast to continue throughout the weekend. It comes after temperatures plunged to their lowest since March.

The Met Office has issued yellow warnings through Saturday morning for the northern coast and southwest of Scotland, as well as southwest and the eastern coast of England.

Conditions could affect some roads and railways, forecasters said, and slippery surfaces would increase the risk of injury for pedestrians and cyclists.

The mercury approached minus 10C in some places overnight, with Tulloch Bridge and Eskdalemuir in Scotland reaching minus 8C.

Temperatures are tipped to continue to fall over the weekend, with several sporting events cancelled amid snowfall and icy conditions.

Met Office meteorologist Annie Shuttleworth said it will be minus 3C or minus 4C for many towns and cities on Saturday.

There would be “snow showers” across southwestern Scotland mainly falling over the high ground and lower level areas in the Lake District, Ms Shuttleworth said.

“Elsewhere, though we’ll see the mist and fog slowly clear, it could remain quite murky for a lot of the morning across central and eastern areas,” she said.

“The best sunshine will be across northern areas of Scotland, but further south and west, you can see things starting to change a little bit (by Saturday afternoon) with a greater risk of some showers.”

She said as winds shifted to more south-westerly, temperatures would slowly rise, feeling a little less cold in the southwest.

“Elsewhere, though still feeling bitterly cold, not much above freezing,” she added.

“Those showers in the southwest then do push further inland throughout Saturday night, and as they bump into the colder air, they could bring some snow to parts of Wales and central areas such as the Peak District, for example.”

Snowfall in London

The first sightings of snowflakes were reported at 11am Friday across the capital, from West Hampstead to the City of London.

Marco Petagna, a senior meteorologist at the Met Office, said temperatures in Cumbria were the coldest on record nationwide since March.

“The recorded -9.4C in Cumbria was the coldest temperature since March 15, when -9.9C was recorded in Tyndrum, Scotland,” he said on Friday.

“Last time there was ‘lying snow’ in the South West was Nov 14 2019, and in Cornwall this was back in November 2010.”

Mr Petagna added that as low pressure arrived through Sunday and moved from west to east, showers could turn to sleet and snow in places.

Tom Morgan, also a meteorologist at the Met Office, said: “There’s some threat of significant snow on Monday.

“We could see several centimetres of snow in south Wales and parts of central and southern England. Monday is the most likely day for widespread disruption,” he added.

Nicola Maxey, a Met Office spokesman said: “Colder conditions are now covering all areas of the UK and we will see little change as we go into the weekend.

“Daytime temperatures will be rooted in single figures and overnight temperatures falling well below freezing in many places.

“We will continue to see wintry showers at times and where these showers fall as rain there is a risk of icy patches forming.”

A Guide Dog charity put out guidance on keeping dogs safe in cold weather from hypothermia, frostbite, antifreeze poisoning, and dehydration in freezing temperatures.

Dog owners are urged to keep their pets warm and dry, provide plenty of water, stay visible by using a light-up collar on walks and avoid frozen water.

The charity said: “If your dog has short hair, low levels of body fat or is older, a dog coat can keep them toasty on chilly days. Make sure your dog’s coat fits well and doesn’t restrict their movement.”

The London Fire Brigade also issued a warning on X, formally known as Twitter, posting: “If you’re at home, be careful about how you choose to keep yourself and those around you warm.

“If you’re out and about, take extra care as conditions could be icy and keep well away from water.”

Fire stations in the capital have been assisting with HandsOn’s WrapUp London campaign, which collects second-hand warm coats and shares them directly with frontline charities supporting people through cold conditions this winter.

Collections are running from Nov 7 to Dec 3, and coats can be taken to one of more than 40 drop-off points across the city.

Despite plummeting temperatures this weekend, this year has joined 2021 and 2022 as one of the warmest autumns on record in the UK, figures show.

The mean temperature for the past three months was 10.76C, according to provisional data from the Met Office.

This is high enough to rank it as the UK’s sixth warmest autumn since records began in 1884, slightly below last year (11.05C) and 2021 (10.84C).

The season has seen sharp extremes in weather, including a heatwave in early September with temperatures peaking above 30C, another hot spell in October and a cold snap at the very end of November.

All of the UK’s top six warmest autumns have occurred this century, with eight of the top 10.

05:22 PM GMT

That's all for today

We are ending our live coverage for today. Please check back to the homepage for the latest updates.

04:58 PM GMT

Weekend forecast

04:40 PM GMT

Past three autumns among warmest on record

Despite plummeting temperatures this weekend, this year has joined 2021 and 2022 as one of the warmest autumns on record in the UK, new figures show.

The mean temperature for the past three months was 10.76C, according to provisional data from the Met Office.

This is high enough to rank it as the UK’s sixth warmest autumn since records began in 1884, slightly below last year (11.05C) and 2021 (10.84C).

The season has seen sharp extremes in weather, including a heatwave in early September with temperatures peaking above 30C, another hot spell in October and a cold snap at the very end of November.

All of the UK’s top six warmest autumns have occurred this century, making up eight of the top 10.

03:46 PM GMT

SWR to reduce services on railway line over fears weather conditions could cause landslip near Woking

South Western Railway passengers are being urged to avoid services between Woking, Surrey, and Basingstoke, Hampshire next week due to emergency repair work.

Routes to Bournemouth, Salisbury, and Southampton will be also disrupted by Network Rail’s efforts to prevent a dangerous landslip, which is said to be “highly likely if action isn’t taken” due to the forecast of cold and wet weather.

Cracks up to 45 metres long, 50cm wide and a metre deep were discovered after sensors detected ground movement next to St John’s Hill Road bridge between Brookwood and Woking.

Network Rail has imposed a 20mph speed limit on trains in this area until work begins on 4th December, at which point only three trains per hour will be able to run in each direction, down from the usual 16.

03:07 PM GMT

London firefighters make cold weather warning

The London Fire Brigade said on X: “If you’re at home, be careful about how you choose to keep yourself and those around you warm.

“If you’re out and about, take extra care as conditions could be icy and keep well away from water.”

Fire stations in the capital have been assisting with HandsOn’s WrapUp London campaign, which collects second-hand warm coats and shares them directly with frontline charities supporting people through cold conditions this winter.

Collections are running from 7th November to 3rd December, and coats can be taken to one of more than 40 drop-off points across the city.

02:49 PM GMT

Guide Dogs charity issues advice on keeping dogs safe in cold weather

A guide dogs charity has put out guidance to help dog owners protect their pets from hypothermia, frostbite, antifreeze poisoning, and dehydration in freezing temperatures.

Dog owners are urged to keep their pets warm and dry, provide plenty of water, stay visible by using a light-up collar on walks and avoid frozen water.

The charity said: “If your dog has short hair, low levels of body fat or is older, a dog coat can keep them toasty on chilly days. Make sure your dog’s coat fits well and doesn’t restrict their movement.”

Rock salt is also picked out as a cause for irritation to dog’s paws, and it is recommended that owners rinse and dry their pets paws after going outside.

02:13 PM GMT

Snow showers and freezing nights to continue into weekend

The Met Office has said temperatures could plunge further in Scotland this evening to around -10C, with parts of the South West and North of England also experiencing -6C to -8C.

Met Office spokeswoman Nicola Maxey said: “Colder conditions are now covering all areas of the UK and we will see little change as we go into the weekend.

“Daytime temperatures will be rooted in single figures and overnight temperatures falling well below freezing in many places.

“We will continue to see wintry showers at times and where these showers fall as rain there is a risk of icy patches forming.”

01:07 PM GMT

In pictures: A putter navigates a frosty surface

12:33 PM GMT

Snow falls on London

Flurries of snow have fallen on London for the first time this year.

The first sightings of snowflakes were reported at midday from West Hampstead to the City of London.

Last year, snow blanketed London on Monday 12 December bringing both festive cheer and travel disruption.

London has not had a truly white Christmas since 1999, and the Met Office has said it is too early to predict this year’s chances.

11:35 AM GMT

Yellow weather warning issued

A yellow weather warning has been issued between Friday evening and Saturday across parts of northwest England southwest Scotland:

11:31 AM GMT

London Underground status

As of 11.30am there are currently delays on the Central, Piccadilly and Metropolitan lines.

On the Central line there are severe delays between Hainault and Woodford due to a shortage of trains and minor delays on the rest of the line.

There are minor delays between Harrow-On-The-Hill and Uxbridge on the Metropolitan line due to a points failure at Rayners Lane.

On the Piccadilly line there is no service between Rayners Lane and Uxbridge due to the points failure at Rayners Lane. There is also a minor delay between Acton Town, Heathrow Terminal and Rayners Lane.

There is a good service on all other lines.

11:26 AM GMT

Update: Delays and cancellations at London's major train stations

King’s Cross

There are currently no major delays at King’s Cross station, according to National Rail’s live departures board.

However, due to a speed restriction over defective track between Doncaster and Grantham trains may be delayed by up to 15 minutes.

Paddington

A small number of trains are delayed or cancelled at Paddington station, including the next train to Oxford and Bristol Temple meads.

Check National Rail’s website for more updates.

Euston

There are currently no delays or cancellations showing at Euston station. 

Waterloo

One train to Addlestone is showing as cancelled at Waterloo station. All other services appear to be running on time.

11:17 AM GMT

'Dry and bright' for most areas

Ellie Glaisyer, a Met Office meteorologist, said most areas can expect weather that is “dry and bright”.

“There will be some wintry showers over the hills,” she said.

“There could be 2cm to 5cm of snow for areas 100m to 200m above sea level, with rain falling at lower levels, particularly Northern Ireland and western Scotland.

“The North York Moors and parts of Scotland will likely get snow.

“There will be another widespread frost, with a max temperature of 5C across the South.”

11:09 AM GMT

'Freezing fog patches' expected in London

The latest Met office forecast for London and South East England predicts a “frosty start with any freezing fog patches”.

Occasional showers are expected in some coastal parts of Kent, with few expected to move further inland. Maximum temperature 5 °C, according to the forecast.

Into tonight the weather will remain “very cold with clear spells and widespread frost.”

There will also be some icy and freezing fog patches with fog patches with a minimum temperature -4 °C overnight.

11:00 AM GMT

Recap: South-east England sees earliest winter snow in 15 years

The south-east of England saw its earliest winter snowfall for 15 years on Thursday, as adverse weather conditions disrupted trains and caused schools to close.

Record levels of snow fell in the South-East, with Oxfordshire becoming the first part of the region to have at least a centimetre of snowfall in November since 2007.

The early arrival of wintry conditions comes as November temperatures are expected to fall to their lowest in seven years, with -10C predicted in some areas of the North-East.

This could beat the 2016 low for November of -10.9C amid a widespread frost.

The lowest ever recorded temperature for England in November is -16.1C in 1912 in Cumbria.

Read the full story here.

10:03 AM GMT

Gas network already at maximum capacity as cold snap hits

Britain’s gas network has already hit full capacity as renewable energy fails to generate the power needed to heat the UK’s homes.

Freezing temperatures mean energy demands have soared in recent days, but low winds mean output at wind farms has plunged, according to data from National Gas and National Grid, making the UK reliant on gas for up to two-thirds of its electricity this weekend.

However, Jon Butterworth, chief executive of National Gas, said demand from gas-fired power stations would be “maxed out” from today through much of the weekend.

He said the weather event should be a reminder of the importance of fossil fuels as to global policymakers attend the Cop28 climate summit in Dubai.

Read the full story here.

09:48 AM GMT

Pictured: Swimmer braves the cold

09:45 AM GMT

Network Rail urges passengers to check before travelling

Network Rail has urged passengers to check before travelling as cold weather hits.

“Our winter fleet will help keep services running as snow and ice hit parts of Britain. Cold weather can pose challenges for the railway, just like road and air travel. Please check your journeys as temperatures drop,” it said.

08:48 AM GMT

Ice could cause travel delays, Met Office says

The Met Office has warned that ice on the roads this morning could cause travel disruption.

08:09 AM GMT

In pictures: Dangerous conditions on the roads

08:00 AM GMT

Motorists advised to keep winter kits in vehicles

Dale Hipkiss, the national network manager at National Highways, has advised those travelling on the roads this weekend to keep a winter kit in their vehicles.

“Keeping a kit of essential items like a torch and warm clothes, in your vehicle, can be vital in case you and your passengers become stranded,” he said.

“Freezing conditions bring so many hazards such as snow and ice, so please... plan ahead for your journey, check weather forecasts, and if weather conditions do become challenging whilst travelling, adjust your driving behaviour and take extra care.

“It’s also a good idea for people to check (your) vehicles, such as tyres, coolant and oil levels, etc. before heading out to reduce the risk of breakdowns.”

07:58 AM GMT

UKHSA issue amber cold health alerts

The UK Health Security Agency and the Met Office have issued amber cold health alerts in five regions until December 5, meaning that “cold weather impacts are likely to be felt across the whole health service for an extended period of time”.

The regions included are the East Midlands, West Midlands, North West, North East and Yorkshire and the Humber.

07:56 AM GMT

Good morning

Welcome to our live coverage of the cold weather sweeping across Britain today.

People can expect widespread frost and patches of snow in parts this morning.

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