Wind and cold weather warnings due but no white Christmas for UK

No one in the UK is waking up to snow on Christmas Day, according to the Met Office, but warnings for cold and windy weather are set to come into force.

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) issued a yellow cold health alert from 6pm on Thursday to noon on December 27 for south-west England, and the Met Office issued a yellow weather warning for wind affecting a similar area and much of Wales, which lasts until 11.59pm on Christmas Day.

Low temperatures are likely to have minor impacts on health and social care services including “increased use of healthcare services by vulnerable people” and a “greater risk to life of vulnerable people”, according to the UKHSA.

The Met Office said east to north-easterly winds will become particularly strong and gusty during Christmas Day, with peak gusts fairly widely of 45-55mph, but 55-65mph possible along some exposed coasts and to the west of prominent hills.

It added that “given the more unusual wind direction, this may lead to some disruption to transport and power supplies” and that “large waves will be an additional hazard on some coasts”.

Met Office spokesman Oli Claydon said Thursday would see “pretty decent” conditions with mainly dry weather.

He told the Press Association: “On Christmas Day there will be a bright start in the south of England and then into Wales as well as the cloud clears.

“It will be cloudier further north, but there will be some cloud breaks starting to break through by lunchtime, and some good sunny spells establishing further north as well.

“The other notable factor will be the wind, so with the positioning of the high pressure there is a quite strong easterly wind, particularly across the south coast of England, so it could be quite gusty there.

“High pressure is now firmly in control of the weather across the UK, bringing a much more settled spell, and also cooler temperatures than we’ve had of late.”

Mr Claydon said it was “highly unlikely” that the UK would see a white Christmas this year.

He added: “We’ve got a very dry picture across the UK over the next few days.”

No snow had been confirmed by the Met Office by 8am on Thursday. It would need to be observed at one of the agency’s stations to be confirmed, meteorologist Zoe Hutin said.

Jersey, which is not part of the UK, has seen some snowflakes, which makes it the third official white Christmas since records began, the Jersey Met Section said.

The snow was seen at Jersey Airport at about 4.45am, Ms Hutin said.

Mr Claydon said the highest temperatures on Christmas Day were forecast to be around 7C in north-east England and 6C in south or south-east England.

He added that frost and freezing temperatures are likely in western rural areas overnight on Christmas Day into Boxing Day with minus 6C possible in rural parts of Scotland and minus 4C in rural Wales.