Oxfordshire shivers in temperatures colder than Arctic Circle

Parts of the South of England were colder than the Arctic Circle overnight, forecasters have said.

Temperatures in South Newington and Benson in Oxfordshire plummeted to minus 7C (19.4F) and minus 6C (21.2F) respectively, while the city of Tromso in Norway basked in a relatively balmy minus 1.4C (29.5F), according to forecaster Callum Stewart, of MeteoGroup.

He added of the UK weather: "The coldest temperatures were in England. Oxfordshire was the coldest county."

Meanwhile, the Met Office has issued a yellow "be aware" warning for drivers in London and south-east England for ice.

It said freezing temperatures overnight, coupled with showers in some areas, could lead to "difficult driving conditions on untreated surfaces, and slippery conditions on pavements and cycle paths are possible".

A statement on the Met Office website said: "Although many surfaces are now above freezing, some remain below and it is possible in these areas for some icy patches to temporarily develop this morning where showers fall on untreated surfaces or where showers have resulted in wash-off of previous treatment. Any ice should clear by 10am."

Mr Stewart added that conditions were set to get milder into the weekend and the early part of next week, with daytime highs of up to 10C (50F) or 11C (51.8F) in southern parts of the UK.