"Gavin Staples" wrote in message
...
As many will be aware, it is 18 years since the great cold spell of
January
1987 which delivered daytime maximums below -5C.
I had -8C and I believe that a maximum of -9.1C was recorded in Surrey
or Sussex. Apparently this spell delivered the coldest 48 hour period in
Britain since 1740.
Does anyone have any idea what the lowest daytime maximum temperature
recorded in the UK home counties actually is?
Notice that I said home counties. I know that in Scotland Braemar holds
the Scottish record with a maximum of -19C in January 1982. To us lot in
East Anglia and the home counties area, that is just academic really.

Gavin, academic or not, Braemar holds the record.
And I would suggest the end of December 1995 delivered a considerably colder
48 hour period than the one you have quoted as being the coldest in Britain
since 1740. Albeit academically/merely in Scotland.
Temperatures at this site remained below -10ºC for 72 hours on that
occasion. And I'm sure this was exceeded at other locations - albeit in the
academic part of the country.
:-)
Alex.