Britain shivered in some record low temperatures - including a "ridiculously low" minus 17C in Wales - as the big freeze maintained its grip on the country, forecasters said.

The mercury at Llysdinam near Llandrindod Wells plunged to minus 17.3C - the principality's lowest ever temperature for November and the UK's chilliest for the month since 1985.

With much of the country blanketed in snow, Shawbury in Shropshire also dropped to minus 12.5C, Lough Fea in Northern Ireland to minus 9.2C and Church Fenton in North Yorks bottomed out at minus 11.9C Michael Dukes of MeteoGroup, the weather division of the Press Association, said the Arctic conditions were caused by a combination of light winds, snow cover and clear skies - and could see readings down to minus 20C in Scotland later this week.

"You are seeing some ridiculously low temperatures - it has been a bit like it is in the middle of Scandinavia," he said.

"There should be a bit more of a breeze over the next day or two, which will not feel quite as extreme.

"But then we might see temperatures threaten minus 20C in the Scottish glens later.

"This is certainly an extraordinary cold snap."

The UK's lowest ever recorded temperature in November was minus 23.3C recorded in Braemar, in the Scottish Highlands, on November 14, 1919.

Other places were very chilly overnight, with Drumnadrochit in the Highlands seeing minus 12C and Northolt in the London area minus 6.5C. It was also minus 9.2C in North Dartmoor.