Britain shivered through the coldest night of the winter so far as temperatures plunged lower than minus 12˚C and the country braced itself for up to 15 cm of snow.

Parts of the UK were placed on amber alert, the Met Office’s second highest severe weather warning, as flights were cancelled and a string of sporting fixtures fell victim to the big chill.

On the roads, motorists faced a “dangerous cocktail of driving conditions” while forecasters warned the freezing weather was set to stay.

The cold snap has already seen daytime temperatures plummet four or five degrees lower than average for February – traditionally the chilliest month of the year.

The mercury dropped to minus 12.4˚C in South Newington, Oxfordshire – the lowest recorded temperature this season, the Met Office said.

Most parts of the country are expected to wake up to a blanket of snow this morning, with up to 15 cm forecast in some places, including London’s Heathrow Airport, where a third of flights will be grounded amid adverse weather conditions and the possibility of freezing fog.

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