Britain braced for blast of sub-zero temperatures

Sub-zero temperatures and freezing fog will grip parts of the UK as the cold weather continues into next week.

A low of -8.1C (17.4F) was recorded in South Farnborough, Hampshire, on Friday night while much of England saw temperatures fall to between -5C and -7C, according to the Met Office.

Temperatures between -5C and -6C are expected in East Anglia overnight on Saturday and another harsh frost is forecast in parts on Sunday night.

The frosty conditions will persist into next week, with freezing fog creating potentially hazardous driving conditions during rush-hour on Monday and Tuesday morning.

Southern parts of England and Wales will be most affected – particularly in west and north London, the Midlands and south Wales – with the fog struggling to clear during the day in cold areas.

Mark Wilson, a meteorologist at the Met Office, said: “There’s going to be one or two fog patches [on Saturday night] but it’s [Sunday] night that we are looking at quite a high risk of some really dense fog patches.”

More freezing fog could set in on Tuesday morning, which Wilson warned could affect drivers. “Both mornings we could see some impact on rush-hour traffic, if we do see those very dense fog patches,” he said.

Most of the country will enjoy a dry start to the week and the north of England will escape the worst of the chilly weather.