Coldest night of winter sees temperatures plunge as low as -11C

The UK has had its coldest night of the winter so far as the cold snap continues to cause icy conditions across the country.

Braemar in Aberdeenshire was the coldest spot in the country as temperatures dipped to minus 11C (12.2F), 0.2C lower than the previous record for 2019.

All four countries in the United Kingdom set new records for the 2018/2019 winter with Sennybridge, Powys, dropping to minus 8.1C (17.4F), Katesbridge in Northern Ireland falling to minus 6.3 (20.7F) and Redesdale Camp, Northumberland, recording temperatures of minus 8.2C (17.2F).

The freezing temperatures have led to weather warnings being issued by the Met Office for snow, ice and fog on Thursday and into Friday.

Southeastern Trains said 21 trains were being cancelled or altered on Thursday morning to minimise the impact of ice forming on the rails and ensure lines were clear and that it would run its "winter weather timetable".

Manchester and Liverpool airports were brought to a standstill on Wednesday morning, although a full service had resumed at Liverpool by 2pm and one runway was also opened at Manchester by midday.

Several schools in the cities were also forced to close their doors because of the harsh conditions.

Councils have prepared for heavy snowfall, with more than 1.4 million tonnes of salt stockpiled, the Local Government Association said.