Temperatures drop below freezing - but more prolonged cold spell still to come

Rough sea's along Tynemouth Longsands on the North East coastRough sea's along Tynemouth Longsands on the North East coast
Rough sea's along Tynemouth Longsands on the North East coast
Temperatures dropped as low as minus 3C (26.6F) across large swathes of the UK last night - but it was not the chilliest night of the autumn so far.

Forecasters had thought the mercury could fall to minus 7C - colder than the minus 6C (21.2F) recorded in Braemar, Aberdeenshire, on November 6.

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But winds that were a "little bit stronger" than expected meant that temperatures did not drop as low as predicted, although they widely went below freezing and large parts of the country have a widespread frost on Monday morning.

The coldest temperatures of minus 3C were felt across parts of Scotland, Gloucestershire and mid-Wales.

Met Office forecaster Simon Partridge said: "We've had three short cold snaps over the past three weekends but it will become less cold over the coming days, before another, more prolonged, cold spell into next weekend."

A minimum temperature of minus 4.9C (23.3F) was recorded overnight at Benson in Oxfordshire, the Met Office said.