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This century
The coldest London winter so far was 2009-2010.
The average temperature in the UK was 1.51°C (34.7°F) that year, compared to the average of 3.7°C (38.6°F). Severe weather warnings have been issued. The closure of the airport, roads, and railways has put UK at an impasse.
The lowest temperature recorded that year was -22.3°C (-8.1°F) on January 8 in the Altnaharra, Scottish Highlands.
Winter of 1962 – 1963
Heavy snowfall in early December, followed by blizzards at the end of the month, produced snow that lasted for two months.
The average temperature in January 1963 was -2.1 °C (28.2°F).
Winter of 1947
As if post-war life was not hard enough, January 1947 is considered the snowiest winter of that century. Temperatures dropped to an average of -1.9°C (28.5°F) in February. Bulldozers were used to clear the snow.
Winter of 1700s
The winters of 1740 and 1795 were particularly extreme.
London, winter of 1740 – 1741: the temperatures were -2.8°C (26.9°F) in January and -1.6°C (29.1°F) in February. The River Thames froze and remained solid for about eight weeks. The Tower Bridge suffered considerable damage due to ice.
January 1795 was the coldest: the temperature was -3.1°C (26.4°F). The ice lasted for months.
On January 25, an extreme temperature of -21.1°C (-5.9°F) was recorded in an unspecified location in England, although some references refer to London. If this record is true, then it is the lowest temperature ever recorded in London.
If you want to find out what is the highest temperature recorded, check out our article on this topic: What is the highest temperature ever recorded in UK?
[Photo from Unsplash]
