According to the Met Office, the coldest temperature ever recorded in the UK is -27.2°C (-16.96°F).
This chilly temperature was recorded in two separate years in two different locations: on 10 January 1982 at Braemar weather station in east Scotland, and on 30 December 1995 at Altnaharra No 2 weather station in north Scotland.
- Britain’s coldest winters – from 1946 to the present day
- Dramatic photos show Britain blanketed in snow and ice
Temperatures below -20°C in the UK are most commonly recorded in stations in east Scotland, followed by north Scotland and the Midlands.
Reliable temperature records date back to around 1880, after the Met Office was founded in 1854 by the captain of HMS Beagle, Vice-Admiral Robert FitzRoy.
However, go back further and you’d likely find colder temperatures: ones so cold that the River Thames used to freeze over.
- Where are the snowiest places in the UK? A White Christmas is guaranteed in these stunning locations
What were frost fairs?
Thought to have started around AD695, frost fairs were hosted on London’s River Thames when the river froze over.
Vendors would set up stalls on the river and activities such as horse and coach racing, ice skating and blood sports would take place.
The last River Thames frost fair took place on 1 February 1814 and lasted four days. Most famously, an elephant was led across the river below Blackfriars.
The Thames was generally thought to be broader and shallower in the Middle Ages, which meant that it flowed more slowly and froze much more easily. The UK’s climate also grew milder and the Thames began to be embanked during the 19th century – which all means we’re very unlikely to celebrate a frost fair ever again.
Top image: an illustration of a frost fair on the River Thames, London, in February 1814. Credit: Getty
