Mild Christmas to be blown away on Boxing Day

MAKE the most of the mild weather on Christmas Day – it won’t last.

By Boxing Day the weather will be turning windier and colder, with Storm Dylan hitting by the new year.

Yesterday Met Office forecaster Greg Dewhurst said: ‘It’s going to be mild and overcast on Christmas Day morning but rain will move into western parts in the late afternoon and evening. The only place that might see a bit of snow is on the hills in the north of Scotland.’

Temperatures are forecast to reach 12C (54F), a few degrees down on the 15C (59F) recorded in some parts of the country on Christmas Day last year. Boxing Day is expected to be colder with sunshine and showers. ‘It will feel cooler compared to this week, with temperatures hovering around the 7C (45F) mark,’ Mr Dewhurst added. This month’s mild temperatures have resulted in signs of spring already appearing, according to data from the Woodland Trust. There have been five sightings of hazel catkins across the country, a flower which usually appears in February.

A string of incidents caused problems yesterday for those trying to get away for Christmas. About 40 flights were cancelled or diverted after a jet left the runway at Bristol Airport while taxiing. None of the 25 passengers were injured.

On the roads an 11-mile tailback was triggered when a lorry carrying a load of beer caught fire on the southbound carriageway of the M40 near Bicester, Oxfordshire.

Delays and cancellations hit several rail operators including South Western Railway which said around 30 services were being axed due to ‘sickness among train crew’.