HAMPTON COURT The sun rises over a herd of deer on a cold and frosty morning in Hampton Court Park, Middlesex, yesterday. Saturday night was the coldest of the year in England and Wales, with temperatures of minus 10C (14F) recorded in Birmingham.

However, while the nights have been cold, days have been sunny. This month looks set to be the sunniest February on record. Until Saturday there had been 82.6 hours of sunshine this month and the forecast for the next three days is more sunshine. The record stands at 109.2 hours in February 1988.

Meanwhile, the last total eclipse of the Moon to be fully visible from Britain and Ireland for more than seven years is due to take place overnight on Wednesday.

The Moon will start to turn a deep shade of red on Thursday morning. It will begin to grow dim at 12.37am and will become totally eclipsed from 3.01am until 3.51am. Lunar eclipses occur when the Moon, Earth and Sun are exactly in line.

Robin Scagell, of the Society for Popular Astronomy, said: “Make the most of this show. There won’t be another one fully visible until September 28, 2015, and that will be the last until 2029.”