For those hoping to see tree tops glisten and hear sleigh bells in the snow this festive season the tidings are not exactly glad.
Odds of a white Christmas in the UK are looking fairly unfavourable at present.
Forecasters have already warned temperatures are likely to go up rather than down in the run-up to Christmas Day.
And this has been reflected in bookmaker’s odds of there being any of the white stuff on the big day.
According to the Met Office, technically 2023 was the last white Christmas in the UK with 11 per cent of stations recording snow falling, although none reported any snow lying on the ground.
The last widespread white Christmas in the UK was in 2010, when there was snow on the ground at 83 per cent of stations (the highest amount ever recorded) and snow or sleet fell at 19 per cent of stations.
Chances of a snowy setting for Christmas are not very high, according to forecasters (Photo: Chris Gorman/Getty)Will it be a white Christmas?
For the Met Office to declare a white Christmas, a single snowflake has to be observed falling in the 24 hours of 25 December by either an official Met Office observer or by a Met Office automated weather station.
This is because it needs to be officially verified both for climate records and also to provide consistency and certainty.
There are more than 200 automatic weather stations located across the UK including St James’s Park in London, the Giants Causeway in Northern Ireland, Balmoral in Scotland and Cardiff’s Bute Park in Wales.
The Met Office has issued a forecast for snow on hills in the north west of Scotland on Saturday evening and wintry showers in Northern Ireland, southern Scotland and northern England overnight to Sunday.
But next Monday, forecasters are predicting we will start to see a change in the feel to the weather, with “rain accompanied by an increase in temperatures”.
They have rated the chance of a white Christmas as “looking decidedly unlikely”.
Although, there appears to be a slightly more optimistic view from bookmakers.
Leon Blackman, from Oddschecker, said: “As we move closer to the big day, anticipation for a White Christmas is still high; Aberdeen currently leads the betting markets as the most likely spot to see snow on Christmas Day.
“While locations further south like London and Cardiff have much slimmer odds, it’s worth noting that snow can often surprise us when it comes to festive weather.”
These are odds, according to the comparison site Oddschecker:
Aberdeen – 8/11 42 per cent implied probability Edinburgh – 9/4 31 per cent implied probability Glasgow – 9/4 31 per cent implied probability Newcastle – 3/1 25 per cent implied probability Belfast – 5/1 17 per cent implied probability Leeds – 7/1 13 per cent implied probability Manchester – 8/1 11 per cent implied probability Liverpool – 9/1 10 per cent implied probability Birmingham – 10/1 nine per cent implied probabilityWhat is the weather forecast over the festive period?
Ahead of Christmas Day, there are some weather warnings in place across parts of the UK for wind this weekend with gusts of up to 80mph expected.
From 7am to midnight on Saturday, there are yellow weather warning in place for wind in the Highlands, Eilean Siar, Orkney, Shetland, Central, Tayside, Fife, Grampian, Strathclyde, Lothian Borders and south west Scotland, parts of North Wales, Northern Ireland, Yorkshire and Humber, North West England, North East England and Derbyshire.
On Sunday, there is a yellow weather warning for wind from midnight Saturday to 9pm on Sunday for central Scotland, Tayside, Fife, Grampian, the Highlands and Eilean Siar, south west Scotland, Lothian Borders, Strathclyde, Wales, Northern Ireland, Yorkshire and Humber, North West England, north East England, Derbyshire, West Midlands, South West England and Hampshire.
Then on Monday conditions will change, the Met Office said winds will ease for the start of next week withesome brightness in the east on Monday, before cloud and rain move in.
The rain will be accompanied by an increase in temperatures.
Rebekah Hick, Met Office deputy chief meteorologist, said: “We’ll start to see high pressure to the south of the UK bringing in more settled and much milder conditions from Christmas Eve.
“Christmas Day itself will be cloudy for most, although some eastern areas of the UK, most likely eastern Scotland, may see some clear or sunny spells.
“We could see some drizzle across hills in the west, and some more persistent rain is possible for northwest Scotland but overall, it will be a fairy cloudy, nondescript day.
“Conditions on Christmas Day and Boxing Day look to be exceptionally mild for the time of year, especially in the north.
“East and northeast Scotland, for example, could see overnight temperatures that are 10°C above average on Christmas morning.”
As ever, forecasts are likely to be more accurate closer to the day and conditions can still change.
So dreams of a white Christmas have not been shattered completely just yet.
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