For those dreaming of a White Christmas, the latest announcement from the Met Office will not be the one you were hoping for.
The weather agency has said that temperatures over the festive period will be “notably high” as the UK prepares for an unseasonably warm Christmas.
Met Office spokesperson Oli Claydon said it would be a “mild Christmas” for many with “notably high temperatures” over the festive period, adding that this “doesn’t necessarily bring sunny skies unfortunately”.
Mr Claydon told the PA news agency: “The key notable factor of the weather through this week really is the mild conditions and higher temperatures.
“The risk of ice and any snow that we had over the weekend has diminished, and no notable heavy rain should bring any impacts to the transport network.”
The Met Office spokesperson said that Christmas Day would be slightly less mild although temperatures would still be around “13C and maybe 14C”.
He added that temperatures would “tail off” towards the end of the week as the country braces itself for a polar blast to sweep across the country on New Years Day.
The prediction comes as the Christmas getaway comes close to an end and the news of mild temperatures will come as music to the ears of those set for long journeys, with the risk of weather induced traffic disruption lessened.
AA president Edmund King said the UK’s roads have “coped relatively well with the traffic”.
He went on: “With Christmas Day falling on a Wednesday, drivers have already had four different days to travel.
“Most journeys have been relatively short, and the majority have been under 50 miles.
“Strategic roads and motorways near shopping centres have suffered the brunt of the congestion alongside some of the roads affected by adverse weather in Scotland and the North.”
The AA is forecasting there will be around 22.7 million drivers on the road on Monday, with 21.6 million on Christmas Eve.
