Big Apple frozen to the core

New York City woke up shivering this morning as temperatures across the north eastern United States plunged to record lows.

It was an icy minus 17C in the Big Apple overnight and a blast of stinging Arctic air made it feel even colder.

The last time temperatures hit such a low in New York was 1893.

Across the city, snowploughs shifted snow which fell earlier in the week when it was warmer.

People went about their business in thick layers of warm clothes.

Enormous jackets usually worn only by hardy winter sports fans, became common street wear.

The sky was a deceptive bright blue, but it was almost impossible to venture out without a hat for more than a few minutes.

Tourist Emma Campbell, from Halifax, West Yorkshire, said: “I arrived on Wednesday and it was cold as soon as I got off the plane.

“But then the temperature just kept going down.

“Yesterday the wind hurt when it hit your skin, but I came ready for the weather and wrapped up warm.”

Miss Campbell, 25, who currently works as a reindeer herder in the Scottish Cairngorms, added: “Standing on the Staten Island ferry as the wind blew across was almost Arctic.

“I live in Scotland and, of course, it gets very cold there, but I never expected it to be so freezing here.”

The US National Weather Centre issued a wind chill warning for New York.

After just a few seconds outside, without thick gloves, fingers become stiff and numb.

“Any exposed skin can freeze in less than 30 minutes,” said forecaster Scott Reynolds.

New York Police have been told to look out for homeless people and take them to emergency shelters as just one night sleeping rough would mean certain severe hypothermia and possibly death.

Ferries linking New Jersey and New York were cancelled as the water froze.

While New York City was gripped by freezing temperatures and arctic winds, areas further north were even colder.

In Boston there was a record low of minus 21C.

Some areas closed schools fearing that if children missed the bus they would suffer hypothermia within minutes.

The wind chill made parts of the region feel like minus 40C.

“The air we are experiencing right now is coming straight from the North Pole,” said meteorologist Tim Markle.

“We basically are experiencing the same temperatures as they would up in the Arctic Circle range in Canada,” he added.

The cold snap has been blamed for the deaths of six people in the north east, including a hiker whose body was found in the White Mountains of New Hampshire.