Deep freeze Britain: Map shows where temperatures will plunge on another frosty night after -11C lows as 80 areas remain on flood alert and rail chaos continues following Storm Darragh
Britain will endure another deep freeze tonight after temperatures fell to -11C (12F) as 80 areas remain on flood alert and rail chaos brought by Storm Darragh continues.
The final homes without power are set to be reconnected today as deluged residents clean up following the deadly 92mph storm which brought a rare red warning.
The Environment Agency still has 18 flood warnings in place across England, mostly for the River Severn and River Derwent, while there are also 62 flood alerts active.
Conditions have become much calmer this week although also very cold, with maximums of just 6C (43F) to 7C (44F) expected across England and Wales today.
Highs of just 1C (34F) were forecast for parts of the Highlands this afternoon, while the mercury will only reach 4C (39F) in the rest of Scotland and Northern Ireland.
The overnight UK minimum was -11C (12F) at Tyndrum in Stirling, while -5C (23F) was recorded in Scottish cities including Edinburgh, Aberdeen and Dundee. Further south, England’s lowest temperature this morning was -2.9C (26.7F) in Keswick, Cumbria.
Tonight, temperatures are expected to fall to -4C (25F) in Scottish towns and cities, while Wales will drop to 1C (34F) and South East England will fall to 4C (39F).
Trains continued to be impacted by Storm Darragh today, with services still suspended on some Transport for Wales routes – including between Llandudno and Blaenau Ffestiniog where replacement buses will run until at least the end of Sunday.
Cold water swimmer Jenny Favell in the River Braan at The Hermitage in Perthshire today
Dog walkers brave the freezing fog at Neilston Pad in East Renfrewshire this morning
Mac the working cocker spaniel goes for a walk at a frosty Neilson Pad in Scotland today
Buses also cotinue to replace trains between Shrewsbury and Swansea via the Heart of Wales line for the same time period, while trains also could not run between Carmarthen and Pembroke Dock this morning.
And Great Western Railway said a fallen tree was blocking trains between Exeter St Davids and Barnstaple in Devon.
Today will be dry and cloudy with the odd shower in the South East, but Scotland could see brighter weather after a cold and chilly start with a widespread frost.
Met Office meteorologist Alex Deakin said: ‘The weather today is pretty similar to yesterday's weather - starting very cold and frosty across Scotland and Northern Ireland and some dense patches of fog here, which are going to linger all day.
‘It's dry for the majority but we do have a few showers just dribbling in on the northeasterly breeze across the South East, and a few more of them just moving along the south coast of England through the day today.
‘So you may get caught out by a shower here - bit of wet weather across Shetland as well, that'll slowly peter out through this afternoon - again, nothing too heavy, just a bit damp and drizzly.’
Tonight will be mostly cloudy across England and Wales with some light drizzle in the East, while clear spells and a frost will develop in some areas.
Mr Deakin said: ‘For the vast majority it's a dry night, but through the early hours thickening cloud over eastern parts is likely to bring some rain and drizzle back in here.
‘Temperatures again, with the cloud, holding up above freezing. Where it's clear, well below freezing across Scotland, -3C (27F) to -4C (25F). That's towns and cities - some sheltered glens much, much lower than that.
'So again, a fairly hard frost and again some fog around which will again in parts of South West Scotland last for most of the day.'
Conditions will remain cloudy tomorrow with patchy drizzle, mostly in the East – while low cloud will lead to hill fog in places. Brighter skies will be seen in the West and across much of Scotland.
Mr Deakin said of tomorrow: ‘Much of Scotland away from the fog will be dry and sunny. Perhaps a bit cloudier for Northern Ireland, thicker cloud for England and Wales.
The Environment Agency still has 18 flood warnings (in red) in place across England, mostly for the River Severn and River Derwent, while there are also 62 flood alerts (in amber) active
‘That cloud is going to be at times producing rain and drizzle - so a dank, dreary, pretty dismal kind of day for a quite a good chunk of England.
‘Some of that rain and drizzle into parts of Wales at times too. Much of the South I suspect will be dry but still gloomy and still cold.'
Temperatures tomorrow are expected to get up to 8C (46F) in England, 6C (43F) in Wales, 5C (41F) in Northern Ireland, 1C (34F) in the Highlands and 4C (39F) in the rest of Scotland.
The Met Office expects high pressure to continue to dominate from Friday, bringing some sunshine and overnight frost and fog – although patchy rain will start to arrive across the North during the weekend as temperatures begin to climb again.
Yesterday, Cabinet Office minister Abena Oppong-Asare said homes without power after the storm would be reconnected by today – and also paid tribute to those who lost their lives during the weather chaos.
It comes as the Government faced calls to review whether current measures adequately support vulnerable residents during extreme weather events.
