Met Office forecasts ‘Grey Christmas’ with latest snow weather prediction
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People in Britain wishing for a snowy Christmas are likely to be very let down, as meteorologists are forecasting a warm and overcast December 25th.
For the Met Office to officially announce a white Christmas, at least one snowflake must be seen falling somewhere in the UK within the 24 hours of Christmas Day.
The weather experts are expecting a "grey Christmas" for the nation, featuring occasional sunny moments and much warmer temperatures—approximately twice the typical average.
There may be occasional light rain, particularly in the northwest. However, the Met Office reports that it will generally be "mostly cloudy and mild" on both Christmas Day and Boxing Day, which means the chances of snow are quite low.
The better weather conditions this week follow a chaotic mix of bad weather and heavy traffic that caused significant disruptions during the Christmas travel season.
Stay tuned to our live travel blog for the most recent updates throughout the Christmas season!
Over the weekend, strong winds and heavy rainfall resulted in the cancellation of over a hundred flights at Heathrow, the UK’s busiest airport. Many ferries and several train services were also disrupted due to the severe weather.
Snowfall affected the region, leading to the closure of a section of the M62. This resulted in significant traffic jams due to congestion and bad weather experienced throughout the UK.
Additional snowfall is anticipated towards the end of December, as the Met Office predicts that the north and possibly central regions of the country will experience ice, sleet, and snow.
White Christmases happen quite frequently, as over half of all Christmas Days have been labeled as such since the 1960s.
The most recent white Christmas in the UK occurred just last year, when 11 percent of weather monitoring stations reported snowfall. However, none of these stations noted any snow accumulating on the ground.
The last time we had a widespread Christmas with snow on the ground was over ten years ago.
Since 1960, the nation has experienced extensive snow cover on Christmas Day just four times: in 1981, 1995, 2009, and 2010.
The Met Office plans to share updates over the next few days if there are any changes to the forecast, but at this point, it doesn't appear that any adjustments will be necessary.
Dan Stroud, a meteorologist from the Met Office, commented, “We anticipate some sunny periods in the east, while the west will experience a lot of cloud cover.”
"Expect a significant increase in temperatures, leading to very pleasant conditions on both Christmas Eve and Christmas Day."
In England and Wales, the temperatures are expected to be significantly higher than usual, although there will be some cloudy weather as well.
"We're anticipating temperatures to be about 12°C or 13°C on Christmas Eve and 11°C or 12°C on Christmas Day. Typically, this time of year sees averages of about 7°C or 8°C, so we'll be experiencing nearly twice the usual warmth."
"Temperatures during the night in Scotland on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day are expected to be quite warm."
Dan Harris from the Met Office recently stated, "Temperatures are likely to be generally mild, so if you're wishing for a snowfall covering the nation on Christmas Day, I'm afraid you might end up feeling let down."
