UK snow forecast: Met Office gives verdict on white Christmas
With only a few days until Christmas Day, forecasters have made their verdict on whether we’ll see a white Christmas this year.
The Met Office is predicting that after a so far mild December, temperatures will drop, leading to a cold and frosty Christmas week.
Low pressure is expected to bring bursts of rain across the UK from Monday, but forecasters say these showers will subside by the end of the week.
However, while temperatures were forecast to drop by as much as 2 degrees in the south west and Scotland, forecasters warned that “there is currently no strong signal for significant or widespread snowfall”; This means a white Christmas is unlikely for most.
Met Office Chief Meteorologist Jason Kelly said: “After a period of unstable and wet weather, we expect a gradual transition to more stable conditions as high pressure increases over the next week.
“This will lead to drier, colder weather for many over the Christmas period, with the risk of frost overnight and fog where skies are clear.”
He added that although the chances of showers are high, the chances of them turning into snow are low.
“There is currently no strong signal of significant or widespread snowfall, although some showers are likely to be wintry in higher elevations, particularly in eastern and southern areas,” he said.
“As always, we would advise everyone to follow the Met Office’s latest forecasts and warnings, especially if you are planning over the festive period.”
Weather maps show temperatures remaining moderate around 10°C on Monday, dropping slightly to 8°C on Tuesday.
Forecasters are predicting a sharp drop in temperatures to around 5°C on Christmas Eve, with the mercury dropping to as low as 3°C on Christmas Day.
This is a colder Christmas than the UK has seen in recent years. But forecasters said any winter storms were likely to be confined to the southern coast of England.
Met Office meteorologist Marco Petagna said: “Come Christmas Day (temperatures) will be no better than 5 to 7C across the UK, so quite a drop from what we’ve seen recently and the chill will be felt in that wind too.
“On Christmas Day, we need to keep an eye on the far south of the UK, particularly the south coast of England. There’s a chance we could see a flurry of snow or two developing.
“There’s only a 10 per cent chance of something significant developing there, but of course all we need for it to technically be called a ‘white Christmas’ is for a snowflake to fall somewhere in the UK, so the very south of England is something we’ll have to keep an eye out for.”
Weather forecast
Monday
Rain will gradually ease in Scotland and Northern Ireland this afternoon. Elsewhere, low clouds are slowly lifting to make way for a brighter afternoon, save for a few showers affecting Cornwall. It is expected to be windy from the west and southwest, and temperatures will be mild.
Tuesday
A mostly cloudy day across the country, with early rain in the southwest. Scattered, mostly light rain is also expected in northern Scotland. East winds will gradually increase and will feel colder as a result.
Wednesday (Christmas Eve) to Friday
High pressure will bring drier, more settled, but cooler weather and chilly easterly winds as we head into Christmas. We may see light rain or snowfall from time to time in the south.
