It’ll be cool Yule... but not a white Christmas

FROSTY conditions will bring a ‘seasonal feel’ to the festive period – but those dreaming of a white Christmas will be disappointed, forecasters have said.

Temperatures across most of the country will stay in midsingle figures on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, but no snow is expected to settle.

The Met Office said that flood watches were in place for southern parts of England and Wales following recent bouts of wet weather. They warned of heavy rain in Scotland today from the tail end of a storm coming f rom the US. It dumped 3ft of snow near New York and has now crossed the Atlantic.

But despite the wet start, the Met Office said temperatures would start to drop towards the end of the week. Meteorologist Tom Morgan said there may be a light covering of snow in some eastern parts of Scotland on Christmas Eve, but none is currently expected on Christmas Day.

And he said that the mercury could drop to as low as –3C in parts of England and Wales on Christmas Eve morning.

Temperatures are expected to reach a high of 6C in London and the south of England on December 24 and a high of 5C on Christmas Day.

Parts of the north, i ncluding Manchester, f ace similarly l ow temperatures of 4C and 5C on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.

Mr Morgan said: ‘It’s going to be dry for the vast majority of the UK, and it will be a cold and frosty start to the day, particularly for England and Wales.

‘So there will be a seasonal feel in terms of white frost on the ground, but in terms of snow, we’re not anticipating any on the ground for the vast majority of the country, unfortunately.

‘It’s going to be a frosty Christmas rather than a white Christmas.

‘It’s a mild and wet start to the week in the south but turning much colder and sunnier for the Christmas period and I think everyone will notice that.

‘Even though it’s not going to be a white Christmas, people will still need their big coats and scarves and hats for any walks they may be going on over the Christmas period.’

He added that temperatures at the start of the week would be ‘milder than average’ for the time of year at around 13-14C.

Meanwhile, bookmakers Ladbrokes cut odds to their shortest ever at 1 to 5 odds-on for snow anywhere in the UK on December 25, with Edinburgh and Glasgow at 2 to 1.

‘There will be a seasonal feel’