OXFORDSHIRE was officially colder than parts of the Arctic during the wash-out bank holiday weekend.

Forecasters at the Met Office confirmed that temperatures recorded at Brize Norton, near Carterton, and at RAF Benson, near Wallingford, on Sunday and Monday, were colder than Banak, in northern Norway.

Temperatures reached a maximum of 10.5C (51F) on Sunday and 9.9C (50F) on Monday in Brize Norton, and 10.6C (51F) on Sunday and 9.2C (49F) on Monday in RAF Benson, compared to 13C (55F) in Banak on both days.

Met Office forcasters said temperatures should normally be around 17C (63F) at this time of the year.

Barry Gromett, spokesman for the Met Office, said: "There was definitely a downhill slide in the weather over the bank holiday weekend. The last really nice day was Friday.

"Parts of the county were colder than some parts of the Arctic Circle and towards the end of the weekend it was a lot colder than it had been.

"For the rest of the week temperatures will recover and should be back up to the high teens by the weekend, although it is still looking fairly unsettled."