UK weather: Temperatures could fall as low as -20C after UK records coldest night in 15 years

Temperatures in northern parts of the UK could fall as low as -20C (-4F) on Friday night as wintry weather continues, the Met Office has said.

"It's going to be another cold couple of days," said meteorologist Liam Eslick, and all areas of the country are likely to experience sub-zero temperatures.

The Met Office confirmed that Thursday into Friday was the coldest night of winter so far in the UK, with the temperatures falling to -14.5C in Altnaharra, in the Scottish Highlands.

It was the coldest January overnight temperature since 2010 when temperatures dropped below -15C several times at locations across the UK, including -22.3C on 8 January in Altnaharra.

Temperatures could plummet as low as -15C or even -20C on Friday night.

"That's probably the lowest limits we're expecting," Mr Eslick said.

"We probably don't really expect many places to get close to -20C, but we could see one or two places that could just touch that mark overnight Friday into Saturday."

That is because of still conditions, high pressure, "not a lot of wind and clear skies".

In addition, snow on the ground helps to create "sort of a perfect scenario to see those temperatures just plummet", Mr Eslick added.

Saturday is also likely to be bitterly cold, while Sunday is forecast to be a little milder.

On Monday, temperatures are expected to be more in line with the seasonal norm, at about 7C to 8C.

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The freezing conditions have led to travel disruption, with Manchester Airport closing both its runways on Thursday morning because of "significant levels of snow". They were later reopened.

Transport for Wales closed some railway lines because of damage to tracks.

Hundreds of schools in Scotland and about 90 in Wales were shut on Thursday.

Meanwhile, staff and customers at a pub thought to be Britain's highest were finally able to leave on Thursday after being snowed in.

The Tan Hill Inn in Richmond, North Yorkshire, is 1,732 feet (528m) above sea level.

Six staff and 23 visitors were stuck, the pub said on Facebook.

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