Christmas Day could be warmest in a decade

Christmas Day is set to be the warmest in almost a decade, with forecasters predicting highs of 14C.

Dreams of a White Christmas have been shattered for most of the UK, with “very mild” temperatures continuing after the country saw its warmest December 24 for more than 20 years.

However, some areas in northern Scotland are likely to see some snow, technically making it a White Christmas, which is defined by the Met Office as a single snowflake falling on December 25.

Predicted highs of 13 to 14C in London and the south-east of England would make it the mildest Christmas Day since 2016, when temperatures reached 15.1C.

The average maximum temperature for December is 7C.

Strong winds caused damage in Kidderminster on Christmas Eve – ALAMY

Forecaster Dan Stroud said: “It’s unlikely to be a record-breaker in terms of warmth but still very mild nevertheless.

“The reason for that is we’re drawing our weather from the mid-Atlantic which is typically a very warm direction for us.”

Monday will be “damp and miserable” for much of England and Wales, while northern areas, Scotland and Northern Ireland are forecast to have a mix of sunny spells and showers.

It comes after temperatures in Heathrow, south-west London, and Cippenham, Berkshire, hit 15.3C on Sunday, making it the warmest Christmas Eve since 1997.

Wind speeds of up to 70mph were recorded in Scotland, reaching 60mph in the north-east of England.

The warmest December 25 on record was 15.6C in 1920, while the highest Christmas Eve temperatures of 15.5C were set in Aberdeen and Banff in Scotland in 1931.

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