As the UK prepares for Christmas Day, the country experienced its warmest Christmas Eve since 1997. Temperatures reached as high as 15.3C in Heathrow, west London, and Cippenham in Slough, according to the Met Office. Although some observers had speculated that it could be the warmest 24 December on record, the current holder of that title remains 1931, when 15.5C was recorded in Scotland. This year’s mild weather could pave the way for Christmas Day to be the hottest since 2016.
Met Office forecaster Dan Stroud tells PA News that temperatures are expected to peak on Christmas Eve. While a slight downward trend is expected on Christmas Day itself, he predicts that temperatures will still be “comfortably above average”. Areas of the Isle of Wight and Northern Ireland saw winds of up to 56mph, with a yellow warning for wind down eastern England from the Scottish border to the Midlands expected to cause travel disruption and power cuts.
In terms of Christmas Day itself, forecasters say that much of Great Britain will see damp conditions, with possible heavy rain in Wales. Most Scottish regions are expected to see rain showers, but there is a possibility of snow on higher ground. For 25 December to officially be a white Christmas, one snowflake needs to be observed within 24 hours. The highest temperature for a Christmas Day in Scotland was 15.1C in 2011 and 2016, while the record for Christmas Day in England and the UK respectively are 15.6C in Devon in 1920 and 15.1C at Dyce in 2011
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