Scotland's weather: Temperatures drop to -10 as country records coldest night of the year

Temperatures plunged below minus 10C in parts of Scotland overnight amid warnings of snow, ice and travel disruption across much of the country.

Drumnadrochit near Inverness in the Highlands hit minus 10.4C in the early hours of Thursday, making it the coldest recorded temperature of the year so far.

Topcliffe in north Yorkshire recorded minus 7.4C was the coldest in England as much of the UK was braced for more cold temperatures and winter weather.

A series of yellow weather warnings for snow and ice from the Met Office were in place, with Scotland the subject to a number of weather warnings in the last few days, including an amber snow warning issued yesterday.

Temperatures in Scotland dropped to minus 10 last night in Scotland

A weather warning from snow and ice is in place for Perth and Kinross, Stirling, Aberdeen, Aberdeenshire, Moray, Na h-Eileanan Siar, Highlands, Orkney Islands, Shetland Islands and Argyll and Bute.

The warnings also cover Northern Ireland and Wales suggest there may be “further wintry showers bringing disruption from ice and snow” while an ice warning is also in place for the south west of England.

They run until noon on Thursday in Wales and the north of Scotland and remains in place in Scotland until midday, while the ice warning lasts until 10am in England.

Met Office forecaster Marco Petagna said: “Parts of north-west Scotland still have 34cm of snow lying, elsewhere this is around 9cm, and in sites across Northern Ireland we’ve got 7cm, and in Wales as well.

“The main thing elsewhere is frost and ice, showers are focused towards the north and west of the UK, so elsewhere a frosty and icy, but dry start.

“Lighter winds in the south on Thursday, so it’s not going to feel quite as raw, even though temperatures are still cold, there will be less of a wind chill effect.

“Gradually it will turn less cold over the next few days, we hold onto it generally today and tomorrow, but into the weekend Atlantic air starts to come in, bringing temperatures up to double figures.”

A level three cold weather alert issued by the UK Health Security Agency and was in place until 9am on Friday.

This morning, Manchester Airport was forced to close both its runways due to heavy snowfall.