Atmospheric pictures reveal Britain plunged to the lowest temperatures of the year last night, as minus 8.7 degrees Celsius was recorded in some parts of the UK.
People going back to work after the Christmas break woke up to a freezing start, after the temperature fell to -8.7C in Katesbridge in County Down, Northern Ireland – a record for the UK in 2014.
Rain showers on Sunday meant much of the snow around the country disappeared, to be replaced by widespread frost and ice.
The lowest temperature of the year was recorded on Sunday night
Freezing weather brought treacherous conditions to roads over the weekend, with many motorists in Sheffield forced to abandon their cars after becoming snowed in.
More than 100,000 homes were left with power shortages as heavy snow wreaked havoc on electricity cables.
And Sheffield was still suffering the effects of the snowfall nearly 48 hours later yesterday when the Blades' League One match with Scunthorpe United was postponed yesterday afternoon for health and safety reasons.
Meanwhile the warmest part of the UK was the Isle of Wight, with a recorded temperature of a chilly 1C.
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Winter weather
The record low temperature wasn’t quite as low as the -10C predicted, but the figures for overnight temperatures are preliminary and Met Office forecaster Charles Powell said it could have been even colder in some areas, ahead of official figures being released later.
A weather warning for ice is in place for the east Midlands as a combination of freezing temperatures and offshore rain showers risk slippy surfaces.
Another chilly night is ahead, forecaster Powell said, but the end of the year is shaping up to be a little milder - if wet and windy.
"Tonight will be cold, with the lowest temperatures expected in England and Wales," he said. "But we should have some milder weather later this week and some rain and wind just in time for New Year."
The best place to be weather-wise at the clock strikes midnight is the south-east, he said, which is expected to stay relatively dry.