BBC and ITV News ratings soar as UK temperatures plummet during severe weather
Millions of viewers are tuning in to the evening news for the latest snow updates and weather forecasts
Viewers have been tuning into BBC and ITV national and local news in their millions as the UK struggles to cope with freezing temperatures and snow storms.
The 'Beast from the East' has resulted in a significant spike in news and weather viewing figures, as people look for travel updates and forecasts for their local area.
On Thursday 1st March at 6pm, over 11 million people tuned in to BBC News or ITV Evening News according to overnight figures seen by RadioTimes.com.
Meanwhile the regional news programmes, including the all-important weather forecasts, received a combined total of 13.8 million viewers across the BBC and ITV in the early evening.
At 10pm, 7.1 million watched the main BBC and ITV news shows and 6.5 million stayed tuned for the regional news.
The previous day, on 28th February, 10 million watched the news at 6pm and 7.1 million watched at 10pm. Senior Programme Editor for ITV Evening News Richard Frediani said that it was the "largest audience" for the broadcaster's news programme since December 2014.
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