Lowest temperature of -14.5C in Altnaharra on winter’s coldest night

Temperatures in a hamlet in northern Scotland dropped to -17.3C on Friday – the UK’s coldest January night time in 15 years.

The mercury in Altnaharra, which is in essentially the most northern area of the Highlands, plummeted shortly earlier than 20:00, the Met Workplace mentioned.

It’s the coldest January in a single day temperature since 2010, when temperatures dropped under -15C a number of instances at areas throughout the UK, together with -22.3C on 8 January in Altnaharra.

Forecasters mentioned they weren’t anticipating it to fall under -18C on Friday however there was a really small chance it may attain -19C.

It was -14.5C in Altnaharra on Thursday night time.

Greater than 50 colleges have been closed within the Highlands on Friday, with 13 shut in Aberdeenshire.

A whole bunch of different pupils have additionally had one other time off on account of closures in Moray, Shetland and the Outer Hebrides.

Temperatures for big elements of the UK are set to fall once more because the chilly climate continues.

Met Workplace meteorologist Alex Deakin mentioned: “Friday night time into Saturday morning could be the nadir of this present chilly spell.”

Cities and cities in Scotland may see -2C to -5C and the Highlands could attain -14C or -15C.

The common low in northern Scotland for this time of 12 months is about 0.3C.

Met Workplace meteorologist Zoe Hutin mentioned: “Definitely a chilly night time to come back, particularly for these beneath clear skies within the east and the north and in rural spots as nicely.”

Cloud protection is maintaining the temperatures from falling as low however it can nonetheless be chilly, Ms Hutin mentioned.

Saturday is forecast to be chilly too, and Ms Hutin mentioned: “We have nonetheless received tonight to come back, and tomorrow night time is also chilly as nicely.

“Temperatures for tomorrow night time, it is going to be primarily japanese elements that see temperatures dropping extensively under freezing, so East Anglia, the north-east of England, northern and japanese Scotland as nicely.

“So one other chilly night time to come back on Saturday, however then as we go into Sunday and into Monday, then we will begin to count on temperatures to recuperate considerably.

“I will not rule out the chance of seeing one thing round or simply under freezing once more on Sunday night time into Monday, but it surely will not be fairly so dramatic because the temperatures that we’ll expertise as we go in a single day tonight.”

Looking forward to subsequent week, she mentioned: “We’re saying it is getting milder however by no stretch does that imply (temperatures) are going to be above common – it simply will really feel comparatively far more nice than it’s for the time being.”

The UK has skilled a “significantly lengthy chilly spell”, she mentioned, including: “It has been getting progressively colder every night time this week, whereas earlier years, we have had possibly two or three days the place issues have been significantly chilly.”

Throughout the nation, Scottish Water mentioned it had recorded a 30% enhance in bursts on its community of water mains, in addition to pipes in family and enterprise properties.

The corporate mentioned it anticipated an additional enhance over the weekend and into subsequent week as temperatures fall after which rise.

A spokesperson mentioned: “We are going to work to restore bursts on our community as shortly as potential and, though it’s the property house owners’ accountability to have bursts on their property repaired, we will generally assist with these.

“Scottish Water is monitoring the climate circumstances and its community across the clock and has groups of engineers able to be deployed every time wanted.”