In Pictures: UK wakes to sunrises, snow and ice as temperatures plunge

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The UK woke up to golden sunrises, snowfall and ice on Tuesday as the mercury plunged to its lowest level in 2023 so far.

Overnight temperatures fell to as low as minus 9.8C in Topcliffe, North Yorkshire, as the cold snap continued, while parts of the South West, including Cornwall, awoke to heavy snow.

A snowy scene at Lower Ninnis St Day, Redruth, Cornwall, looking west towards St Aubyn
Residents in Redruth, Cornwall, awoke to snowy scenes on Tuesday (Viv Robinson/Twitter/PA)

Lows of minus 8.7C were recorded in Eskdalemuir in Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland; minus 8.4C in Katesbridge in County Down, Northern Ireland; and minus 7.7C in Sennybridge in Powys, Wales.

A woman and her dog run along the bank of the River Cam in Cambridge at sunrise
A woman and her dalmatian went for a run along the River Cam in Cambridge at sunrise despite the ground being covered in frost (Joe Giddens/PA)
A woman takes a photograph of the sunrise from Primrose Hill in west London
The golden sunrise proved a picturesque moment for this early riser, who snapped a shot from Primrose Hill in west London (Victoria Jones/PA)

Several severe weather warnings have been issued by forecasters, with the Met Office telling people in northern Scotland they could see heavy snow on Tuesday afternoon and evening.

Up to 20cm of snow could fall quickly across Aberdeenshire and the Highlands, while mountainous parts of North Wales could see 15cm.

Fallow deer at Bradgate Park in Leicester during a cold and bright morning
Fallow deer were up early to butt heads in Leicester’s Bradgate Park (Jacob King/PA)

Warnings for snow and ice are in place for most of Northern Ireland and parts of the North West, Midlands and Wales from noon on Tuesday until noon on Wednesday, and in the South West from 6pm on Tuesday until noon on Wednesday.

Dog walkers in St Nicholas’ Park in Warwick during a cold and frosty morning
Dogs don’t seem to mind the chilly weather – and neither did these two walkers in St Nicholas’s Park in Warwick (Jacob King/PA)
Rowers train on the River Cam in Cambridge at sunrise
Rowers trained on the River Cam in Cambridge at sunrise despite it being cold enough to see their breath (Joe Giddens/PA)

An ice warning covers much of the South from 6pm on Tuesday until 10am on Wednesday.

Sunrise over a small building in South Shields, Tyne and Wear
The sun loomed large as it rose over a small building in South Shields, Tyne and Wear (Owen Humphreys/PA)

Motorists have been urged to take care on the roads due to difficult driving conditions, with “blustery” and “often wintry” showers expected across northern and western coasts.

A double-decker bus overturned in Somerset after colliding with a motorbike at about 6am on Tuesday. None of the 70 people on board died.

A dog being walked in St Nicholas’ Park in Warwick during a cold and frosty morning
Monday night into Tuesday was the coldest of the year so far – though still warmer than last year’s, which came in December (Jacob King/PA)

The Met Office recorded the coldest night of last year on the night of December 12-13 when temperatures plunged to minus 15.7C in Braemar, Aberdeenshire.

A woman and a child walk through falling snow in Eglinton, Co Londonderry, Northern Ireland
Snow also fell in Northern Ireland, with a woman and child photographed walking through a wintry scene in Eglinton, Co Londonderry (David Young/PA)
The sun rises behind The Royal Liver Building in Liverpool, Merseyside
Low cloud made for a postcard image as the sun rose behind The Royal Liver Building in Liverpool (Peter Byrne/PA)

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