Cold health alert and weather warnings issued for parts of UK on Christmas Day

A cold health warning and weather warnings have been issued for parts of the UK on Christmas Day as forecasters dash hopes for a white Christmas.

The UK Health Safety Agency (UKHSA) has issued a yellow alert for south-west England from 6pm on 25 December until noon on 27 December.

Winds of up to 105km/h form part of the Met Office warning for the South West. Organizers of some Christmas and Boxing Day swimming events in Devon and Cornwall have been forced to cancel the events.

The Met Office warning also affects Somerset and a wider region of Wales, from Cardiff and Swansea to Bangor.

In all, Met Office warning Covering 18 of the 22 council areas in Wales.

Met Office spokesman Oli Claydon said it was “extremely unlikely” the UK would see a white Christmas.

“We are facing a very dry picture across the UK over the next few days,” he added.

Although not officially part of the United Kingdom, snow fell in Jersey on Thursday morning.

The Jersey Met Division said it was the third time snow had been seen on the island on Christmas Day since records began and the first since 1970.

According to the UKHSA, lower temperatures are likely to have minor impacts on health and social care services, including “increased use of healthcare services by vulnerable people” and “greater risk to the lives of vulnerable people”.

The Met Office said easterly to north-easterly winds will be particularly strong and gusty throughout Christmas Day.

Winds are expected to reach a fairly broad peak at 45-55 mph, but gusts of 55-65 mph are possible on some open shores and west of prominent ridges.

He added that “given the more unusual direction of the wind, this may cause some disruption to transport and power supplies” and that “large waves will pose additional danger to some coasts”.

Highest temperatures on Christmas Day are forecast to be around 7C (45F) in North East England and 6C in southern or South East England, Claydon said.

He added that frost and freezing temperatures were likely in western rural areas overnight from Boxing Day to Boxing Day, with -6C possible in rural Scotland and -4C in rural Wales.

Large waves in south-west coastal areas pose an additional danger, according to the Met Office.

Coverack organizers say swimming in Cornwall comes with weather forecast It would be “too dangerous” for the event to continue postponed the event until New Year’s Eve.

The Start Bay Inn in Devon said it was “really sad” to announce the cancellation of its Boxing Day swim, while RNLI Teignmouth took a similar decision, insisting “safety considerations must come first”.