No winter wonder as Christmas Day will hit balmy 11C

IT WILL feel more like Easter on Christmas morning as unseasonably warm temperatures are expected early on.

Met Éireann has dashed any hopes of waking up to a winter wonderland on Christmas Day as temperatures are expected to hit a balmy 11C.

While it will be nowhere near the record December temperature of 18.1C recorded on December 2, 1948, it will still be unseasonably mild.

Snow is definitely off the menu for Christmas Day as rain will push in everywhere during the morning, with heavy falls expected in the south and east.

But forecaster Joan Blackburn has refused to rule out a possible white Christmas for those living in the north and north-west.

Temperatures would begin to plummet on Christmas Day following a mild and breezy start, she said.

Winds will shift to a westerly direction as colder temperatures accompany showery conditions in the afternoon.

The mercury will continue to plummet overnight on Christmas with lows getting down to zero or -1C.

Some of those showers could turn wintry in Ulster and Connacht with the possibility of snow on higher ground, she said.

“A lot depends on how quickly the rain clears,” she said of any snow showers.

“But it’s not likely,” she added on the possibility of a dusting of snow on lower ground.

Driving conditions could also be challenging overnight on Christmas with frost and icy patches expected.

Meanwhile, tomorrow will also be unseasonably mild with daytime highs between 10C and 12C. Fresh and gusty south-west winds, with rain moving in across the north and west and heavy in coastal counties, will make it a challenge for last-minute shoppers in Ulster and Connacht, although it should remain dry farther east, but cloudy.

Soggy

St Stephen’s Day will also start off soggy, with rain spreading eastwards on Tuesday morning and some sleet in places. However, it will get brighter as the day progresses.

Temperatures will stay low, with daytime highs of just 4C to 8C. There could also be sleet and wintry showers on higher ground, Ms Blackburn said.

Today, meanwhile, will continue to be mild but dull with fresh and gusty south-west winds forecast for tonight with the odd patch of drizzle.

It will be mild overnight with lows between 7C and 10C and no risk of frost. Next week will be cold, windy and unsettled.