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This is an old revision of this page, as edited by Toonling (talk | contribs) at 03:38, 11 January 2025 (←Created page with 'The '''December 2022 United Kingdom cold wave''' was a spell of unseasonably cold weather that affected the United Kingdom between 8 December and 18 December. It was considered to be one of most significant spells of low temperatures since the winter of 2010–11, with overnight temperatures widely falling below {{convert|-10|C}} on several occasions.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Kendon |first=Mike |last2=McCarth...'). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.

The December 2022 United Kingdom cold wave was a spell of unseasonably cold weather that affected the United Kingdom between 8 December and 18 December. It was considered to be one of most significant spells of low temperatures since the winter of 2010–11, with overnight temperatures widely falling below −10 °C (14 °F) on several occasions. On 11 December, snowfall fell across parts of southern England and the Midlands, with accumulations exceeding 20 cm (8 in) in some areas.

Overview

On 5 December 2022, the UKHSA issued a level 3 cold weather alert for every region in England, suggesting a high probability of severe cold weather and icy conditions. By 8 December, temperatures plummeted across the country with the arrival of an arctic maritime air mass, and several ice warnings were issued by the Met Office. Snow fell across parts of Scotland, which led to some travel distruption on the roads, particularly in Aberdeenshire. In the following days, snow also began to fall across other parts of the country, and temperatures began to plummet even further. On 11 December, a snowfall event affected southern England and the Midlands, which came as a surprise to some due to the lack of weather warnings. In London, there was widespread distruption caused by the snow, and several airports around the city were affected by flight delays and cancellations. On 12 December, the country experienced its coldest day since December 2010, with Braemanr in Aberdeenshire recording a maximum temperature of −9.3 °C (15.3 °F). The cold spell eventually came to an abrupt end by 18 December, which led some water pipes bursting as a result of a 'freeze-thaw' event.

Incidents

On 11 December, four boys fell through ice which accumulated on the surface of Babbs Mill Lake, resulting in their deaths. An inquest heard that they fell into the frozen lake after feeding ducks and skimming stones, and it was concluded that their deaths were accidental.

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2. ^ Holley, Dan; Smart, David (2023-02). "Snowfalls in the Cotswolds and Home Counties on 11 December 2022". Weather. 78 (2): 46–47. doi:10.1002/wea.4367. ISSN 0043-1656. {{cite journal}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
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