Cold comfort

A farmhouse was blanketed by overnight snow close to Langdon Beck, near Barnard Castle in the North Pennines. The Met Office has issued yellow weather warnings for snow, ice and wind covering many parts of the UK, and amber warnings for Northern Ireland and Scotland.

A new weather monitoring system installed on the Lake District’s Helvellyn mountain will aid climbers and protect rare alpine flora.

The project by the British Mountaineering Council and John Muir Trust will provide hourly weather data from the Red Tarn face of the peak.

Due to its height and north-facing aspect, Helvellyn often bears the brunt of severe weather conditions ahead of other parts of the region, making it a popular location for winter climbing.

The data will help winter climbers assess conditions before tackling the terrain, and in doing so also protect the rare plant life that grows there.

Helvellyn provides a niche habitat for unusual plants, including three rare alpine species. However, these are left vulnerable to damage by spike grips on climbing shoes and ice axes when the ground is not frozen solid. Samantha Herbert