Brits shiver through coldest January night in 15 years

by · Mail Online

Britain shivered through its coldest January night for 15 years yesterday – while gas chiefs tried to quell fears of a national energy shortage.

Cold-weather health warnings were extended until Tuesday as much of the country endured below-zero temperatures, with -18.9C (-2F) recorded in Altnaharra in the Scottish Highlands on Friday night – the coldest since 2010.

Lows of -11C were recorded in Shap in Cumbria and the big freeze extended south, where -5C was measured at Heathrow Airport.

The average low in England for this time of year is 1.5C to 1.6C.

As the country woke to another icy start, network operator National Gas insisted there was enough gas to cope with demand throughout the freezing conditions, despite a warning last week that stocks were ‘concerningly low’.

A spokesman said: ‘The overall picture across Great Britain’s eight main gas storage sites remains healthy. Britain obtains its gas from a diverse range of sources beyond that already in storage, meaning we are well placed to respond to demand this winter.’

Energy giant Centrica sparked alarm on Friday by warning that the UK had less than a week’s worth of demand for gas stored, saying stocks were 26 per cent lower than the same period last year, leaving them about half full.

UK storage sites have come under pressure due to the cold snap and the end of Russian gas pipeline supplies through Ukraine last month.

Vehicles driving down a frozen country lane in Dunsden, Oxfordshire on Saturday
Skaters play ice hockey on a frozen flooded field in Upware, Cambridgeshire
A jogger exercising with a dog in a frost covered Hyde Park in central London this morning

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Britain freezes in coldest January night for 15 years as temperature plunges to -19C

Natural gas accounted for more than half power in the UK yesterday, and renewables met just a seventh of our needs.

Meanwhile, the UK Health Security Agency extended its amber cold-weather alert for all of England until Tuesday.

The agency said a rise in deaths, particularly among those aged 65 and over or with health conditions, is probable because of the severe drop in temperatures and icy conditions.

While snow and ice caused widespread travel problems and the cancellation of sporting fixtures yesterday, it also triggered another headache for councils in beauty spots – day trippers flocking to see spectacular wintry scenes.

Gritters were unable to cover a Peak District road in Derbyshire yesterday because 200 cars had double-parked on it and narrowed the carriageway, blocking Rushup Edge and Mam Nick on the road down to Edale, near Mam Tor, a popular hiking spot with spectacular views over the national park.

Two highland cows sit in the snow in Scotland. A low of -18.9C (-2F) recorded in Altnaharra in the Scottish Highlands on Friday night – the coldest since 2010
An aerial view of dawn breaking on frost-covered fields in Northwich, Cheshire where overnight temperatures dropped to -7C on Friday night
An ambulance travels through icy conditions in St Helens, Merseyside on Thursday

In a post on X, the council said: ‘Our gritters cannot get through...If we can’t get through, neither would a bus or fire engine.’ 

Forecasters say that after becoming progressively colder every night for the past week, they now predict slightly warmer conditions for today – though it will remain chilly in the South-East while the North-West can expect persistent rain.

Met Office forecaster Zoe Hutin said: ‘I won’t rule out the risk of seeing something around or just below freezing on Sunday night into Monday, but it won’t be quite so dramatic.’

Looking ahead, she said: ‘It will get milder but by no stretch does that mean temperatures are going to be above average, it just will feel comparatively much more pleasant than at the moment.’