Britain wakes to big freeze as temperatures plummet

Britain has woken to another icy start with a risk of fog affecting the morning rush hour.

Swathes of the country shivered overnight as a widespread frost took hold and temperatures fell below freezing, dropping to minus 8C (17.6F) in parts of Oxfordshire and further still in the Scottish Highlands.

The Met Office has issued yellow warnings of ice, stretching from the northern half of Scotland down to northern England up to 11am and freezing fog is expected to linger, with scattered light wintry showers across the north and east later on.

A yellow fog warning has been issued for some western parts of the Midlands, with localised dense freezing fog and lighter patches expected until 10.30am.

Met Office forecaster Charlie Powell said: "There are patches of quite dense freezing fog that can be quite nasty and the ice in Scotland could be problematic. It will be a pretty wintry start for most."

When skies clear later the south and west are expected to enjoy bright, crisp spells - although temperatures will remain low.

A band of rain is expected to arrive from the west on Wednesday night with icy winds. Any clear patches risk the return of freezing fog, especially in eastern parts.