Temperatures in Britain varied by more than 15 degrees on Wednesday morning, with the mercury passing 9C in Scotland and falling to minus 6.5 in south-east England.

Cloudy skies resulted in milder weather in the north, while clear skies in the south led to a much chillier start to the day.

The Met Office recorded a temperature of 9.1C in Sutherland, Scotland, at around 4am, while a low of minus 6.5C was recorded in Frittenden, Kent, at around 5.45am.

Writtle in Essex and Goudhurst in Kent saw lows of minus 6.1C, with the South East widely seeing temperatures of minus 5C and minus 6C.

Forecaster Craig Small said: "It can happen at this time of year, any time between autumn and spring."

He said the South East had clear skies overnight and, with cold air coming from the continent, temperatures dropped.

Other parts of the country were under a blanket of cloud which helped keep temperatures up.

"Two ends of the spectrum of winter weather," he said. "It's definitely a big contrast today across the country."

As the day progress, the difference in temperature is expected to become less pronounced, with a high of 10C or 11C forecast for Scotland, and temperatures in the South East expected to climb to 4C or 5C.