Icy start to 2002

Revellers braved the cold to celebrate

The new year got off to a cold start as freezing temperatures continued.

The coldest temperature of 2002 so far was recorded at Sennybridge in Powys, Wales with the thermometer hitting -12°C on New Year's Eve.

Forecasters believe Tuesday night could be just as frosty although the week will not get colder.

But milder air will move into western areas with the possibility of cloud and rain in Devon and Cornwall, spreading to Northern Ireland.

Most other areas will be dry and sunny with night-time frost.

Cold spell

New year revellers in London suffered temperatures of -2°C as they welcomed 2002 in Trafalgar Square and elsewhere.

Temperatures in Birmingham of -8°C could not spoil the party.

But the cold spell has already seen the death of two people in accidents.

On Sunday a 21-year-old man died after slipping through the surface of a frozen reservoir.

The body of Yuie Wai Cheam was recovered from Harlaw Reservoir in Balerno, near Edinburgh by police on Sunday.

In Norfolk, a woman died and three others were injured when a car skidded on ice and collided head-on with another vehicle on the A148 in Gunthorpe.