Weather warnings have been issued for parts of Scotland while Hell has literally frozen over in the US as the frigid plunge affecting much of the northern hemisphere shows no signs of abating. 

The coldest UK temperature in seven years was recorded in the Highlands on Thursday morning when, reaching a low of –14.4°C at Braemar in Aberdeenshire, with forecasters warning more is on the way.

Meanwhile, a Michigan town which shares a name with Satan’s abode has suffered lows of –24°C, as residents battle to cope with the cold front brought about by the polar vortex affecting many mid-eastern states.

Closer to home, as plunging temperatures caused the historic Ross Fountain in Edinburgh’s West Princes Street Gardens to freeze, police issued a warning to drivers to take care on the roads with widespread ice and snow expected.

A yellow weather warning has been issued for much of the eastern half of the country, lasting through the night and into Friday morning, ending at noon. 

The warning stresses that travel delays are likely with both roads and rail affected, while some rural communities could become cut off.

The areas likely to be affected include the Scottish Borders, East Lothian, Aberdeenshire, and much of the Highlands and Islands including Orkney and Shetland.

Inspector David Hynd said: “Warnings from the Met Office indicate that icy patches can be expected; and lying snow of between one and three cm could also be experienced. 

“Drivers should therefore exercise extra caution while this is in force, which is between 6pm tonight and noon tomorrow.

“If you are travelling you should ensure you and your vehicle are adequately prepared for the conditions making sure you have sufficient fuel and supplies such as warm clothing, food and water in the event you are delayed for several hours. 

“Charge your mobile phone and plan your route as well as alternative routes.”

The Met office said that the freezing blast would continue into the weekend, with a chance of more snow on Sunday.

A forecaster said: “We have had the coldest night for seven years on Wednesday and there could be more to come during the following nights.

“Tonight will see temperatures drop to similar figures and there will be more of the same on Friday. During the day it will struggle to get much above zero in many areas. We’re not seeing any significant change until Sunday when we see a front pushing in from the west bringing snow and wintery showers.”

She added: “But even then the temperature is not going to go up by much.”
However, the worst of the cold snap is likely to be felt further south, with an amber warning issued parts of the south west of England and South Wales.

The Met Office predicted that those areas would see heavy snow falls during yesterday into Friday, with 3 to 7cm likely to accumulate  within two to three hours, drifting to up to 10 cm in some places. 

Chief meteorologist Dan Suri said: “As well as the amber warning, there are still yellow snow and ice warnings in place for a wider area across southern England and Wales and for the east of the UK and northern Scotland.

“This snow and ice could be disruptive causing delays to travel.”

“Snow amounts will vary within the warning areas, with some places seeing very little.”

While Scotland and the rest of the the UK will continue to shiver for the next few days, the cold snap pales in comparison to the big freeze in the US.

Known as a polar vortex, the icy cone has seen temperatures plunge as low as –32°C in North Dakota with wind chills as low as –52°C in Minnesota.

The National Weather Service forecast temperatures in Chicago as low as –33°C, with wind chills to –46°C. Detroit’s outlook was for overnight lows around –26°C, with wind chills dropping to – 40°C.

Governors in the states of Wisconsin, Illinois and Michigan declared emergencies as the worst of the cold threatened.

Officials throughout the Mid West are taking extraordinary measures to protect the homeless and other vulnerable people from the bitter cold, including turning some city buses into mobile warming shelters in Chicago.