The UK is bracing for the coldest night of 2023 as an Arctic air mass sweeps across the country, bringing snow and ice warnings for all four nations. The Met Office has warned that temperatures could drop to -15C in some sheltered Scottish glens, potentially breaking the previous low of -10.4C recorded in January.
Snowfall has already been reported from Inverness to Buckinghamshire, with up to 40cm possible in parts of Scotland on Thursday and Friday. Yellow weather warnings for snow and ice are in place across much of the UK, with travel disruption expected and schools closed in areas such as Aberdeenshire, where more than 80 schools shut.
The Met Office's Grahame Madge said: "Temperatures will be much, much colder than we would expect at this time of year. The pattern will set in for some time." The cold spell is expected to last until at least next weekend, with further warnings likely to be issued.
National Highways has advised motorists to carry warm clothes and a torch, while the UK Health Security Agency has issued a level 3 cold weather alert for England, urging people to check on vulnerable relatives and heat homes to at least 18C.
