Britain hit by big freeze as temperatures drop below -8C

Last night was England’s coldest so far this winter, with lows of less than -8C.

The village of Benson in Oxfordshire was hardest hit by the cold conditions, with temperatures of -8.1C.

This follows a severe weather warning put in place across parts of the UK by the Met Office, urging people to be prepared for potentially hazardous conditions.

Icy patches were predicted to form on Wednesday night into Thursday morning, particularly in areas that saw showers.

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Clear spells on Wednesday night meant a chance of temperatures dropping below freezing, allowing the ice to form.

The Met Office warning, in place until 10am on Thursday, highlighted the dangers of untreated surfaces such as pavements, cycle paths and some minor roads.

It was in place for Yorkshire and Humber, the East Midlands and the east of England.

Charles Powell from the Met Office said: “Temperatures will be getting lowish, with some dropping below freezing.

“The icy conditions are likely to be seen in the east where some showers are expected. But the cloud means temperatures will not be desperately low.”

He added that temperatures would be chillier further inland, with parts of the Midlands looking at lows of -6C.

Oxfordshire had the edge in the end however, but Cromdale, Scotland, holds the record for the coldest temperatures so far this winter, with lows of -11 back in December.