Arctic blasts to chill Britain at minus 2C

CHANCES of a white Christmas grew yesterday – at least for some – as forecasters kept a close eye on a looming ‘battleground’ of icy Arctic air and milder, wetter conditions.

A gloomy and foggy weekend saw the coldest night of the winter so far, with temperatures plunging to -8.9C (16F) in Braemar in the Cairngorms on Saturday night.

Today is set to be brighter for many. But from tomorrow, it is expected to turn chillier again, as low as -2C (28F), just ahead of the onset of wetter air from an area of low pressure moving in from the Atlantic.

This is expected to lead to snow in upland areas going into Christmas Eve, potentially spreading to more low-lying parts, according to the Met Office. BBC forecaster Sarah Keith-Lucas described it as a ‘battleground’ with ‘cold air spilling in from the north, milder air heading in from the south-west’ as the festive weekend approaches.

Christmas Day could see further snow showers to northern hills, but forecasters are not expecting disruptive amounts of wind.

The last time there was snow across much of the country on December 25 was in 2010, when 83 per cent of weather stations reported lying snow. That was only the fourth time since 1960 where that has happened in at least 40 per cent of UK locations.

Today and tomorrow are expected to remain largely dry with more bright spells than over the weekend. But nights will remain frosty, with temperatures plunging as low as -2C (28F) tomorrow even in the South.