Temperatures plummet to minus 18.9C overnight as cold spell continues

Temperatures dropped to minus 18.9C in the UK’s coldest January night in 15 years, as the wintry weather continues.

Altnaharra, which is in the most northern region of the Highlands, recorded minus 18.9C on Saturday morning, the Met Office said.

It is the coldest January overnight temperature since 2010, when temperatures dropped below minus 15C several times at locations across the UK, including minus 22.3C on January 8 in Altnaharra.

Much of the UK endured below-freezing temperatures overnight, with temperatures dropping to minus 11.2C in Shap, Cumbria, and Bala in Wales recording minus 6.7C.

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.

It will stay cold throughout the weekend in most areas, with some places such as northern Scotland likely to remain below freezing on Saturday and maximum temperatures more widely in the low single figures, Met Office meteorologist Becky Mitchell said.

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has extended its cold weather health alert for all of England until Tuesday.

Amber alerts have been extended and will now run until January 14, meaning a rise in deaths, particularly among those aged 65 and over or with health conditions, is likely, the agency said.

Met Office meteorologist Zoe Hutin said on Saturday that night temperatures are expected to drop widely to below freezing in eastern areas.

She said: “So another chilly night to come on Saturday, but then as we go into Sunday and into Monday, then we can start to expect temperatures to recover somewhat.

“I won’t rule out the risk of seeing something around or just below freezing again on Sunday night into Monday, but it won’t be quite so dramatic as the temperatures that we’re going to experience as we go overnight tonight.”

Looking ahead to next week, she said: “We’re saying it’s getting milder but by no stretch does that mean (temperatures) are going to be above average, it just will feel comparatively much more pleasant than it is at the moment.”

The UK has experienced a “particularly long cold spell”, she said, adding: “It has been getting progressively colder each night this week, whereas looking at previous years, we’ve had maybe two or three days where things have been particularly cold.”