There is a village in the UK where jaw-dropping temperatures of -27C were once recorded. The UK is facing quite a cold snap at the moment, and many areas of the country have seen temperatures below freezing in recent weeks. However, it is rare that temperatures fall below -10C in the UK, let alone reach -27C. But in the UK’s coldest village, that once happened.
On January 10, 1982 and December 30, 1995, the lowest ever temperature was recorded in the UK. The first time it was recorded was in the Scottish village of Braemar, Aberdeenshire. 1982 was actually one of the coldest winters in UK history, and it was nicknamed the ‘Big Snow’ as wintry conditions broke records across the country. Temperatures this low haven’t been recorded in the UK since, and it’s hard to imagine what -27C even feels like. But that was a reality in Braemar in 1982.
The cold weather at the time was caused by a drop in high pressure. This allowed a freezing air from the Arctic to land in the UK, and a shivering -27.2C was recorded in Braemar.
Cold temperatures aren’t unusual in Braemar. In fact, in 2021, temperatures of -23C were recorded there. But temperatures have never dropped as low as they did in 1982.
In 2022, locals told The Guardian what it was like to live somewhere where temperatures get so low, with heating costs getting especially high as a result.
One local revealed: “Here, you wake up in the morning and there’s ice on the inside of your windows, and it’s only light between 9am and 3pm. You have to have the lights on; you have to heat your home. It’s a lot scarier to face winter in Braemar at the foot of the hills than it is in London, for example.”
“When I was little, you ate your tea with the Calor gas stove and no lights on to try to save energy,” another said.
In general, Scotland is colder than the rest of the UK. This can be put down to a number of factors. Scotland is more exposed to the Atlantic Ocean, and is geographically closer to the Arctic Circle than England, Wales and Northern Ireland.
Braemar is located in the heart of the Scottish Highlands, about 58 miles west of the city of Aberdeen. It’s safe to say conditions are rough here.
On average, the village gets 98 days of air frost and 157 days with 1 millimetre or more of rainfall. In winter, snow depths can get as deep as 12 inches.
In comparison to its lowest temperatures, Braemar looks like it’s in for a relatively mild December, with temperatures around 0C and -1C, a far cry from the unimaginable -27C it once experienced.
