THE air in some Scottish locations was so cold today that members of the public reported boiling water turning into ice crystals when thrown in mid-air.

James Beaumont, 33, from the village of Boat of Garten in the Highlands, shared a video online showing himself throwing a cup of boiling water into his garden, whereupon it changed immediately.

“Well, it seems that -18c is cold enough to turn boiling water to ice instantly…!” he wrote on Twitter.

He later told PA: “All the lakes here are frozen solid, people ice skating on them, and we have had snow on the ground since Boxing Day.”

A temperature of -23.0C (minus 9.4F) was recorded in around an hour’s drive south in Braemar, Aberdeenshire, overnight. It was the coldest recorded temperature in the UK since 1995, according to the Met Office.

Another social media user shared a picture of their own attempt in Aberdeen.

The water-throwing gimmick went viral in the US in recent years, but health experts have warned people of potential risks after several people reported burns and injuries.

The phenomenon is caused because small water droplets are so hot they start to vaporise when released.

The National:

The River Dee, close to Braemar where overnight temperatures as low as -23 were recorded - the lowest in the UK for more than 20 years

However, because cold air is unable to hold as much water vapor as warmer air, the water then condenses.

The cold temperatures then quickly freeze the droplets of water, creating the ice crystals.