Coldest December in Britain in a decade

The end of the coldest December in a decade in Britain has the nation in a cold snap, with temperatures of about 10 F and heavy snow.

The blast of cold air and snow -- which stranded motorists, canceled trains and caused numerous accidents -- is forecast to lift for much of Britain Saturday, but there were severe weather warnings, with heavy snow forecast Friday for Scotland, much of England and Wales, the Daily Telegraph reported Friday. One man was reported to have died after his van crashed into a truck, the BBC said.

Freezing fog was a problem for much of the Midlands and parts of England, while Northern Ireland had up to two inches of snow.

"It has been the coldest December since the mid-1990s," said a Met Office spokesman. "The south of England has come in at about 3 degrees below the average, which is the first time this has happened since December 1996."

The police department in Kent, one of the cities hardest hit with snow, reported 75 complaints from people targeted by snowballs.

Copyright 2005 by United Press International