Freeze a jolly good fellow

After an icy start to the new year and the coldest December since 1996, the freezing weather is set to continue this weekend.

Forecasters have warned that temperatures could plunge as low as minus 15c in the first weekend of 2010, and wintry showers are also predicted across much of the North.

However, despite sub-zero temperatures in many places on Thursday night, hundreds of thousands of revellers braved the chill for New Year’s Eve parties. As Big Ben chimed midnight, it was around 3C in London but elsewhere it was far colder, with crowds at the huge Hogmanay party in Edinburgh celebrating in temperatures of minus 6C.

Matt Dobson, forecaster for MeteoGroup, the Press Association’s weather division, said it will remain very cold across the UK over the weekend, especially in Scotland and northern England. “There will be widespread and very sharp frost in some places. We could see temperatures as low as minus 15C in Scotland and minus 10C in parts of England.

“Winds coming in from the North East will bring snow showers to eastern England and northern and eastern Scotland.

“Anywhere down the East Coast people could see flashes of lightning with snow showers.” Picture: Gary Longbottom