
A bitter chill has settled in across Britain today, marking the start of a big freeze that could last until Christmas.

Fleets of gritter lorries were out in many areas of the UK after the coldest night of the autumn so far, as traffic police warned drivers to look out for ice patches with thermometers showing sub-zero readings in many areas.

A temperature of -6C (21F) recorded at Braemar in Aberdeenshire overnight made it the chilliest night recorded in Britain for seven months since April 18 this year when Cromdale in Morayshire fell to -6.2C.

In Kent, councils said the gritters were out in force from 3am in the early hours of this morning as temperatures fell to -2C overnight in the South, -3C in the Midlands and -4C in the North of England.

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Fog hangs over a perfectly calm Kielder Water in Northumberland this morning as temperatures plummeted overnight

Fog covered parts of the North West of England today, creating hazardous driving conditions in Bolton, Greater Manchester

Richmond Park in South West London is the picture of wintry conditions today after it was hit by an overnight frost

Motorists make their way through foggy conditions in Bolton, Greater Manchester, this morning

Swans on the water as this morning's light breaks through at Harold Park in the Low Moor area of Bradford, West Yorkshire

Another beautiful scene at Harold Park in Bradford this morning as parts of the UK wake up to sub-zero temperatures

A spectacular view of Corfe Castle in Dorset this morning as the sun rises with temperatures down to -2C in southern England

The possibility of a big freeze has been blamed on the La Niña phenomenon, a weather process which cools the eastern Pacific Ocean, reducing mild easterly winds and allowing bitter northerlies to sweep in.

This was behind the big freeze of November 2010 which saw lows of -13C and snowfalls of 2ft in places during the coldest winter on record for Britain, although forecasters are not expecting such a chilly season at the moment.

According to the Met Office's forecast for November to January, a 'full La Nina event' is likely in the next few months. It adds: 'The risk of colder than normal conditions remains a significant possibility.'

Last night still lagged behind 2017's coldest night, when -10.1C (13.8F) was recorded on January 30 in Braemar. It is also still far off the coldest November temperature of 2016, when -12.1C (10.2F) was observed, again in Braemar.

A largely cloudless night failed to insulate the land and allowed heat to escape, 'leading to the widespread frost', Met Office forecaster Oli Claydon said. Most of the UK will remain largely bright and chilly for the rest of the week, with highs of around 10C to 12C (50F to 54F), he added.

A satellite from about 9am today shows how it is fine for the South and East, but cloudier in the North and West with some rain

Temperatures fell to -6C in Scotland last night (while) while they are not expected to get above 5C this morning in England

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Wintry walk: The McInnes family, of Carrbridge, Inverness-shire, strolling at Cairngorm Mountain resort yesterday

But clouds, wind and rain will be felt across parts of Scotland and the far North West, moving into Northern Ireland and western Wales and western England by Monday night, according to the Met Office forecast.

The band of rain and wind will then move slowly south east, pulling cooler air down with it. Frosty conditions may be seen, particularly in central areas, Mr Claydon added.

Wednesday and Thursday will remain largely dry in the South and South East, but rain is likely to persist in the North West. For the South on Friday and Saturday, it will be 'fairly brisk with showers moving in from the West with periods of sunshine mixed in', Mr Claydon added.

He said: 'The slow-moving cold front is spinning off a low-pressure system. As we move closer to the weekend the system starts to pull cooler air from the North West down, bringing a cooler feel.

'It's also responsible for the showery set-up we're likely to see on Friday. Then, there will be fairly widespread blustery cold showers across the UK with periods of brightness mixed in.'