November Cold Records Set in UK

The UK Met Office reports that a northeasterly flow of Arctic air has set November low temperature records in the UK:

Last night saw November minimum temperature records fall across the country. Most notably both Wales and Northern Ireland recorded the coldest November night since records began. In Wales, temperatures fell to -18.0 °C at Llysdinam, near Llandrindod Wells, Powys. Northern Ireland recorded -9.5 °C at Loch Fea.

Scotland recorded minimum temperature of -15.3 °C at Loch Glascarnoch, whilst England recorded -13.5 °C at Topcliffe in North Yorkshire.

The UK's lowest ever recorded temperature in November was - 23.3 °C recorded in Braemar, in the Scottish Highlands, on November 14, 1919.

Heavy snow is forecast for northern and eastern portions of the country this evening and tonight:

Heavy snow will continue to affect southern and central Scotland, northeast England and the east coast of England. Snow showers possibly also fringing into the south coast of England. Elsewhere very cold again but largely dry with widespread frost.

The BBC reports that travel conditions have been impacted by "the earliest widespread snowfall since 1993."

The Northern Hemisphere surface and upper-level (500 mb) chart for noon GMT, November 28, shows very strong surface high pressure (1039 mb) centered over Iceland with easterly flow bringing cold air westward over the UK.

Image (click to enlarge): Scene on the A1 highway near Durham in northeastern UK from BBC; Northern Hemisphere surface/500 mb pressure chart from Unisys