Part of Thames freezes as UK experiences historic cold snap

LONDON: Parts of the River Thames froze over in London on Saturday as temperatures in Britain plummeted to sub-zero. The low temperatures, caused by a bitter chill from the Baltic, led to the river partially freezing over at Teddington Lock in south-west London. Birdlife were spotted enjoying the stretch as a temporary skating rink.

The frozen section of the river, which runs from the Thames Head in the Cotswolds through to the Thames Estuary in the North Sea is more susceptible to icing over as it is non-tidal ie water flows more slowly. The stretch has previously frozen over. In January 1963, the coldest winter for 200 years, the ice was thick enough for a man to cycle on the river near Windsor Bridge.

This weekend in London, temperatures will struggle to get 4C on Sunday. But milder conditions are on the way after a week of record-breaking cold, according to the Met Office.Wintry weather will still be around for the weekend, but temperatures will begin to rise towards double figures into next week, forecasters have predicted.

It comes as a record low temperature for February was recorded in England and Wales for the second night running as parts of North Yorkshire dipped below minus 15C. The coldest UK temperature for 65 years was recorded at Braemar in Aberdeenshire on Wednesday night, when the mercury dropped down to minus 23C.