Katesbridge: NI hamlet breaks another cold record

The hamlet of Katesbridge in County Down saw temperatures fall to -10.5C in January

Katesbridge in County Down has hit a new record for low temperatures at the site.

There have been 12 days with air frosts recorded at the weather station so far in May.

On average, it records two and a half days during the final month of meteorological spring.

The tiny hamlet is no stranger to cold weather - in fact, it has become so notorious that it is affectionately known at Kates-fridge.

The previous record at the site was in 2010 when eight days of air frost was recorded.

During the big freeze of winter 2010 temperatures there fell to a finger-numbing -17.8C, although it was marginally beaten that year by Castlederg in County Tyrone.

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It recorded -18.7C that same month - Northern Ireland's lowest temperature on record.

Mention Katesbridge in a conversation and no doubt most people will have heard of it.

But why does it get so cold?

Essentially, it sits in a low hollow which cold air sinks into.

The cold air builds up and the temperature falls.

Conversely, in the summer the hollow has the opposite effect and Katesbridge often records some of the highest temperatures across the whole of Ireland - along with Castlederg.