LONDON: The cold snap gripping Britain dragged temperatures to historic lows with Wales and Northern Ireland shivering through their coldest November night since records began, the Met Office said on Sunday. Thermometers in Llysdinam in Powys, Wales, sank as far as minus 18 Celsius while at Loch Fea in Northern Ireland they sank to minus 9.5C. In Scotland the mercury fell overnight to minus 15.3C at Loch Glascarnoch, while in England a temperature of minus 13.5C was recorded at Topcliffe in North Yorkshire. The Met Office issued severe weather warnings of heavy snow for much of Scotland and northeast England. It said snowfalls of up to 25cm could accumulate on higher ground. The cold and snow is forecast to last for a number of days, accompanied by severe frosts and icy conditions.