The mild air marched north-eastwards during Sunday 21st November, bringing to a close the brief cold spell the UK has seen of late. However, the cold air wasn't going without a fight, and the result brought some of the most horrendous winter conditions seen across the UK in November for years!

With spells of heavy rain advancing across northern England and Scotland, there was very little sleet or snow. This was despite surface air temperatures well below freezing during Sunday, after an overnight minimum of -12 degrees Celcius at Loch Glascanoch in the Scottish Highlands. Other overnight lows included -10C at Aviemore, -8C in Aberdeen, -7C in Edinburgh and -6C in Teeside. However, what there lacked in snowfall was more than made up for in one of cold weather's more brutal hazards, freezing rain.

During Sunday, rain fell from relatively warm air aloft, landing on the frozen surfaces across northern parts of the UK. The result was widespread glazing of surfaces, coated in sheets of clear ice. Worst affected were the roads of Scotland and northern England, where countless crashes caused a score of road closures. Motorists were advised to only travel if it was absolutely necessary.

However, the rest of England and Wales gradually warmed up during the day, with temperatures in the south-west of the UK up to 14C by the end of the afternoon. The outlook for the coming week is for much milder weather, but with the risk of rain at times. However, there are indications that next weekend could turn wintry once again.......