On This Day - The UK's Coldest Ever Day - 10th January 1982
The UK has seen its fair share of cold weather over the years, but one day stands out as the coldest ever recorded. On January 10, 1982, the village of Braemar in the Cairngorms saw temperatures drop to a bone-chilling -27.2°C (-17.1°F). This marks the lowest temperature ever recorded in the UK and is a record that still stands today.
The cold snap that hit the UK on that fateful day was part of a larger cold wave that affected much of Europe, with some parts of the continent seeing temperatures drop to as low as -50°C (-58°F). The cold wave was caused by a high-pressure system that settled over the continent, bringing with it cold, dry air from the Arctic.
The impact of the cold wave was felt across the UK, with many parts of the country experiencing sub-zero temperatures and snowfall. In Braemar, the cold temperatures and snow created dangerous conditions, with residents advised to stay indoors to avoid frostbite and hypothermia.
Despite the extreme cold, the residents of Braemar are no strangers to harsh winters. Located in the heart of the Cairngorms, the village is used to seeing temperatures drop well below freezing in the winter months. However, the -27.2°C temperature recorded on that day was a record even for Braemar, and it is unlikely that we will see such extreme cold in the UK anytime soon.
A little closer to home, the city of Hull saw temperatures drop to -11.1°C with surrounding rural areas seeing significantly lower temperatures.
Whilst our winters are generally much warmer in the 2020's we still see some significant cold spells. Just this year temperatures locally dropped to -8°C in East Yorkshire following a cold blast of Polar air.
You might be wondering what we at MCS are busy doing during such cold spells? Well, our priorities are firmly placed with getting all customers seen to in order of urgency. Frozen pipes, water & gas leaks are seen to first; usually within an hour or so of them being reported. We then attend to clients with no heating or hot water.
Our call handlers are trained to help clients over the phone in order to safely give self help tips, they often get clients back up and running over the phone. We even have dedicated articles to help clients with frozen condensate pipework and similar faults!
When things get really cold MCS engineers are out working overtime to get clients back up and running, often working late into the night (or morning in some cases)
There's a lot clients can do to help us when things get chilly! Making sure the boiler is serviced annually, insulating pipes & asking your engineer if everything is the best it can be to prevent freezing pipework is a great way of preventing breakdowns.
Contact us now if you would like free advice on how you can improve your homes resillience in the face of cold weather.