Severe weather warning for ice issued as UK reels from five-day freeze
A yellow weather warning has been issued by the Met Office for ice
Commuters face another day of difficult journeys as icy conditions look set to continue through rush hour for much of the UK.

Following a weekend gripped by the coldest temperatures of 2017, the freeze is expected to loosen its hold on Wednesday.

But a severe yellow weather warning will continue until 11am across most of England, Wales and Scotland, as remaining ice threatens treacherous conditions on roads and paths.

The coldest temperature of the last five days - in Shawbury in Shropshire - was a low of -13C, with the mercury in Powys falling to -10.1C and in Loch Ness -9.1C.


Ice forming in the fountains at Trafalgar Square, London
Ice forming in the fountains at Trafalgar Square, London
In Oslo temperatures were -6C and Moscow -2C.

Many areas enjoyed a blanket of snow thick enough for sledging and snowmen - in Sennybridge, Wales, 30cm of the white stuff was recorded, while High Wycombe saw 18cm fall.

Across the country, that had a knock-on effect for hundreds of schools which were forced to close.

Severe weather warnings were in place into Tuesday, and icy roads and compacted snow led to concerns of treacherous conditions.

Children play in the snow in Newcastle-under-Lyme, Staffordshire
Children play in the snow in Newcastle-under-Lyme, Staffordshire
Thousands of homes were also left without power. Western Power Distribution engineers restored power to 99,500 homes, while SSE restored power to 50,000 homes across Wiltshire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire on Sunday.

The freeze also coincided with the beginning of cold weather protocol for homeless charities, and cold weather shelters in the UK opened their doors to people sleeping on the streets.

Disruptions also grounded flights and caused delays to and from airports including Birmingham, Manchester and Edinburgh. British Airways cancelled 170 flights on Sunday and more than 100 on Monday.

British Airways cancelled dozens of flights after disruption caused by the snow and ice
British Airways cancelled dozens of flights after disruption caused by the snow and ice

Meanwhile, rail disruptions caused travel chaos, with cancellations between Birmingham and Bristol after a landslide caused by the severe weather.

The Port of Calais was also closed, after a ferry carrying 300 people ran aground as it attempted to depart for Dover in a storm.

The lowest daily temperature ever recorded in the UK was -27.2C, registered in 1982, 1985 and 1995 in Braemar and Altnaharra in Scotland.