Britons hoping for a white Christmas are set to be sorely disappointed with a mild and grey 25 December predicted by forecasters.
For the Met Office to declare a white Christmas, a single snowflake has to be observed falling in the 24 hours of Christmas Day anywhere in the UK.
However, the forecaster is predicting a “grey Christmas” for the country, with some sunny spells and “extremely mild” temperatures of around double the usual average.
Some patchy rain will be expected at times, especially in the northwest, but overall, the Met Office says it will be “remaining rather cloudy but mild throughout Christmas Day and Boxing Day”, dashing any hopes of snow.
The improved conditions this week would come after a “perfect storm” of adverse weather conditions and road congestion led to widespread disruption during the Christmas getaway period.
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The weekend saw heavy rain and wind, with more than a hundred flights cancelled from Heathrow Airport, the UK’s busiest airport, and dozens of ferries cancelled, as well as some trains.
Snow also hit, causing part of the M62 to close, with heavy traffic caused by congestion and poor weather conditions seen across the UK.
More snow is expected but near the end December, with the Met Office forecasting ice, sleet and snow is set to hit the north of the country and perhaps also central areas.
White Christmases are a common occurrence, with more than half of all Christmas Days being declared a white Christmas since the 1960s.
The last white Christmas in the UK was actually last year when 11 per cent of weather stations recorded snow falling – although none reported any snow lying on the ground.
The last widespread Christmas with snow settling on the ground was more than a decade ago.
The country has only seen widespread snow coverage on Christmas Day four times since 1960 – in 1981, 1995, 2009 and 2010.
The Met Office will continue to provide updates in the coming days in case the forecast changes, but for now, it doesn’t seem likely.
Met Office meteorologist Dan Stroud said: “We’re expecting to see some sunny spells further east and a lot of cloud from the west.
“Temperatures should rise considerably and it will be extremely mild over Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.
“In England and Wales, temperatures will be well above average with some grey in the mix.
“We’re expecting an average of around 12C or 13C on Christmas Eve and 11C or 12C on Christmas Day. The usual average for this time of year is 7C or 8C so we’ll be around double where we usually are.
“Overnight temperatures in Scotland for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day will be extremely mild.”
Dan Harris of the Met Office previously added: “Temperatures are expected to be widely mild, so if you are hoping for a blanket of snow across the country on Christmas Day, I’m sorry to say you will be disappointed.”
