Coldest winter start in 30 years

The UK has experienced its coldest start to winter in more than 30 years, experts said.

The first third of December has been more nippy than normal, with the average temperature just 1.7C (35.06F), according to the Met Office. That is a marked drop on the long-term average of 4.7C (40.46F), suggesting the season could buck the trend for very mild winters.

Such a cold start to the month has not been seen since the 1970s, when UK average temperatures dropped to 0.8C (33.44F) in 1976, a spokesman said.