Britain is in the icy grip of its first major cold snap of the season, as temperatures have plunged to their lowest levels so far this winter and widespread snow and ice have caused significant disruption up and down the country. According to the Met Office, overnight lows on Thursday, November 20, 2025, dropped to a bone-chilling -11C just north of Dundee, with many areas across England, Wales, Northern Ireland, and Scotland shivering through subzero conditions. The village of Benson in England recorded -6C, while Oxfordshire saw the mercury sink to -6.6C, marking the coldest night of the season for much of the UK.
This dramatic turn in the weather has not just been a talking point for dog walkers and radio hosts—it has upended daily routines for millions. Hundreds of schools were closed on Thursday, with Aberdeenshire in Scotland particularly hard-hit as more than 90 schools shut their doors. The story was much the same in the Highlands, Moray, and across parts of Wales, where dozens of schools in Pembrokeshire, Carmarthenshire, and Ceredigion were unable to open due to hazardous conditions. North Yorkshire, East Yorkshire, and Northumberland also saw a slew of closures, leaving parents scrambling for childcare and teachers hastily moving lessons online or postponing them altogether, as reported by BBC and The Guardian.
Travel chaos has been the order of the day, with both rural and urban roads rendered impassable by thick snow or treacherous ice. The A90 in Aberdeen was closed in both directions on Thursday morning, trapping vehicles and forcing emergency crews into action, according to BBC. North Yorkshire police advised drivers to avoid routes like the A1, A171, and A169, as snowdrifts and ice made travel perilous. In Pembrokeshire, local councils described road conditions as "extremely hazardous," warning that even main roads could not be guaranteed safe despite gritting efforts.
The Met Office responded to the deteriorating situation by issuing a barrage of weather warnings. Eight separate yellow snow and ice alerts blanketed regions from Devon and Cornwall in the south, up through Kent, the east coast of England, East Anglia, north-east England, and into Northern Ireland and northern Scotland. More severe amber warnings were in place for the North York Moors and the Yorkshire Wolds, where up to 25cm of snow was forecast on higher ground. The amber alert, valid from 3am to 9pm on Thursday, cautioned residents to prepare for "substantial disruption," with blizzards, road closures, and even the possibility of power cuts.
One rare and dramatic phenomenon making the rounds in weather reports was "thundersnow"—thunderstorms that, in wintry conditions, produce heavy snow instead of rain. The Met Office noted that thundersnow was observed in Aberdeenshire and off the coast of north-east England on Wednesday, and warned that more could be on the way. As they explained, "During thundersnow at night the lightning appears brighter, due to the light reflecting off the snowflakes, but the sound is also duller, reducing the sound of thunder travelling to just two or three miles from lightning."
Across the UK, the effects of the cold snap were immediate and widespread. National Rail warned that speed restrictions and service disruptions were likely in areas hit by snow and ice, with cancellations, alterations, and delays a real possibility. Public transport was not immune, as buses and trains struggled to keep to their schedules. The Met Office urged people to plan for extra travel time, recommending that journeys be made along main roads, which are more likely to have been treated, and that pedestrians and cyclists stick to well-used paths. "Plan to leave the house at least five minutes earlier than normal," they advised. "Not needing to rush reduces your risk of accidents, slips, and falls."
Health officials were equally concerned. The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) issued an amber cold health alert for the North East, North West, and Yorkshire and the Humber, and a yellow alert for the rest of England, warning that the cold could have "significant impacts" on the elderly and those with pre-existing health conditions. Dr. Agostinho Sousa, head of extreme events and health protection at UKHSA, stressed, "It is vital to check in on vulnerable friends, family or neighbours." The alerts, which remain in force until at least Saturday morning, also put health and social care services on notice for increased demand.
Power cuts were reported in parts of west Wales, adding to the challenges faced by residents already contending with freezing homes and blocked roads. Attractions like Ryedale Folk Museum in North Yorkshire were forced to close for the first time in a decade due to snow, according to The Guardian. For some, though, the winter weather was an opportunity for sledging, snowman-building, and atmospheric photography. Bookmakers even shortened the odds on a White Christmas in cities such as Aberdeen, Newcastle, and London, as the snow continued to fall.
Despite the chaos, there were glimmers of relief on the horizon. The Met Office predicted that temperatures would begin to rise closer to seasonal averages by the weekend, as milder, wetter, and windier weather moves in. But they cautioned that conditions would not be as "exceptionally mild" as earlier in the month. In the meantime, yellow and amber warnings for ice and snow remain in effect for much of the UK through Friday morning, with the risk of slippery surfaces on roads, pavements, and cycle paths persisting. The Met Office warned, "It is likely to expect some injuries from slips and falls on icy surfaces."
Looking further ahead, the Met Office's State of the Climate Report points out that, over recent decades, the frequency, duration, and intensity of cold spells in the UK have decreased—air and ground frosts have reduced by around a quarter since the 1980s, a trend clearly linked to climate change. Yet this week's weather stands as a reminder that winter can still pack a punch, and that even in a warming world, the UK is not immune to sudden and severe cold snaps.
As the nation braces for another frosty night and the possibility of more snow in northern Scotland by Saturday, the advice remains clear: stay safe, check on those at risk, and keep an eye on the latest weather updates. For now, the UK is firmly in winter's icy embrace, and all anyone can do is bundle up, take care, and hope for a smoother commute tomorrow.
