It was the coldest night of 2023 so far and due to ‘heavy snow fall’ Manchester Airport ‘temporarily closed both runways’

Overnight the mercury plummeted to the lowest temperature of 2023 so far to minus 10C and the Met Office warned of snow, ice and travel disruption.

In the early hours of Thursday morning the temperature hit minus 10.4C in Drumnadrochit near Inverness in the Highlands, which was coldest night so far of 2023.

In Topcliffe, north Yorkshire the temperature fell to minus 7.4C which was the coldest in England and due to “heavy snow fall” Manchester Airport had to “temporarily close both runways.”

Manchester Airport said in tweet, “Following a period of heavy snowfall, we have temporarily closed both runways.

“Health and safety will always be our top priority and operations will resume at the earliest opportunity.

“Passengers are advised to contact their airline for the most up-to-date flight information.”

Met Office forecaster Marco Petagna told PA, “Parts of north-west Scotland still have 34cm of snow lying, elsewhere this is around 9cm, and in sites across Northern Ireland we’ve got 7cm, and in Wales as well.

“The main thing elsewhere is frost and ice, showers are focused towards the north and west of the UK, so elsewhere a frosty and icy, but dry start.

“Lighter winds in the south on Thursday, so it’s not going to feel quite as raw, even though temperatures are still cold, there will be less of a wind chill effect.

“Gradually it will turn less cold over the next few days, we hold onto it generally today and tomorrow, but into the weekend Atlantic air starts to come in, bringing temperatures up to double figures.”