Britain endures coldest night of winter A lorry is stuck on the A169 road between Pickering and Whitby, as freezing rain falling on icy roads caused chaos on the roads. Photograph: John Giles/PA Britain has endured its coldest night of the winter so far with temperatures plummeting to almost -18C, forecasters said. Families setting off on half-term getaways have been warned of "deceptively dangerous" road conditions. Temperatures fell to -17.8C in Chesham, Bucks, during the early hours of Saturday morning. Claire Allen, forecaster for MeteoGroup, said: "Most places in England and eastern areas of Wales dropped to below -4C, with -5.8C at Heathrow and -5.5C in Nottingham. Motorists are going to have to be extra cautious in areas where there is still snow remaining as it will be frozen, making the roads very icy and slippery. The Met Office said it had probably been the coldest night in England since December 2010, with temperatures widely below -10C across Lincolnshire, Cambridgeshire, Oxfordshire, Hertfordshire and Bedfordshire. A "yellow" severe weather warning instructing people to "be aware" of ice on roads has been issued by the national weather service across the whole of England and parts of Wales. A level three cold weather alert is also in place. Allen said the bitter temperatures would continue on Saturday with London, south-eastern areas and the Midlands struggling to get above freezing. Most areas should be dry and sunny, but cloud, rain and freezing drizzle could hit western parts of Britain, she added. Scotland and Northern Ireland escaped the adverse temperatures overnight thanks to a warm front, with readings of between 5C and 10C expected on Saturday. Saturday night is also forecast to be bitterly cold in England, with temperatures in London and the Midlands falling to around -6C while milder temperatures are likely on Sunday. The freezing temperatures have led to the cancellation of a number of sporting fixtures this weekend, with Crystal Palace's Championship clash with Doncaster postponed due to a frozen pitch and a number of games in League One and League Two axed. The race meetings at Newbury, Uttoxeter and Warwick have also been cancelled. With thousands of families expected to embark on half-term getaways this weekend, the AA cautioned drivers to take extra care, especially if travelling to mainland Europe, where they face the risk of "frozen" diesel. Darron Burness, the AA's head of special operations, said: "Before departing, check the traffic and weather reports as the road conditions are quite unpredictable at the moment and it only takes one incident to cause long tailbacks. Anyone driving to Europe should be aware that it's so cold over there that diesel fuel can turn waxy, blocking the fuel filter and stopping cars running.