A white Christmas may be on the way for the uplands of north Wales and northern England, while festive flurries and bracing temperatures will set in on Boxing Day, with the Met Office issuing warnings for snow and strong winds across the north of England and central Scotland from the early hours of Sunday.
Snow is predicted to fall in Snowdonia and the Pennines on Christmas Day, with more expected from the early hours of Boxing Day across the north of England and southern Scotland. With cloud and rain forecast for southern parts of the UK on Saturday, this band is expected to move northwards before turning to snow.
Motorists in south Wales and south-west England have been warned to take care on the roads, with heavy downpours expected.
Temperatures are forecast to plunge to as low as -2C in some parts of the north and east of England between Christmas Day and 28 December, although weather across most of the UK will be slightly warmer than average for this time of year, with southern England enjoying mild temperatures of 7C-9C.
A warning has been issued for snow over some upland areas, coupled with strong, gusty winds. The Met Office says that winds gusting between 35mph and 45mph in places could lead to challenging travel conditions across higher Pennine and Cumbrian routes, as well as the Scottish Southern Uplands during the early hours of Boxing Day.
The Met Office also warned that temporary blizzard-like conditions may be encountered above 300-400 metres elevation. These conditions will probably move into hillier central parts of Scotland during Sunday morning, while snow turns back to rain further south.
The chief meteorologist, Frank Saunders, said: “The Christmas period will be unsettled for much of the UK this year. Many will see wet and cloudy conditions as mild air dominates the south and west. This contrasts with the cold air in the north-east, which brings the chance of some snow, most likely over the Pennines and the southern half of Scotland, and is perhaps a little more likely into the early part of Boxing Day. Added to the mix is a strong easterly wind, especially in northern areas, which will make it feel particularly cold.”
