UK weather: ‘No snow for Christmas’ as parts of country will feel highs of up to 15C this week

The weather will be 'a mixed-bag' but generally mild and wet

No snow is predicted for Christmas by the Met Office this year (Getty)

It is time to finally abandon all hope of a “white Christmas” as the weather is likely to be wet and mild across the country.

After the sudden cold snap during the night on Friday and Saturday, which saw grounds across the nation covered in stunning wintry frost, many expected that the festive season will be seeing similar temperatures as low as -6.6 degrees Celsius.

A temperate climate is likely to be felt as a warm air front makes its way over from the west Atlantic Ocean, with cloud and some drizzle. The highest temperatures are expected on Wednesday and Thursday with highs of up to 15C in London and an average of 12C across the board, the Met Office said.

The south is to see averages of 9C in the middle of the week while the temperature is likely to keep just above 6C in many parts of the north. Scotland is subject to lows of -3C on very high ground and temperatures are expected to remain above 0C during the night in most parts of the country.

A Met Office spokesperson said: “It will be a mixed-bag but that is pretty standard for this time of year.”

But heavy rain, caused by an area of low pressure north of the UK moving down to the south, is expected to lash the north west of England and northern Wales from Tuesday night into Wednesday. Winds and precipitation have sparked suggestions that the mild and wet winter will mirror storms experienced across the whole country during this time last year.

Northern parts of the UK felt the wrath of a “weather bomb” for two days last week as harsh gales, snow and lightning left tens of thousands of people on the west coast of Scotland without electricity.

Horse riders travel though overnight snow in the Yorkshire Dales last weekend

Today is expected to be generally quite dry with sunny intervals, with the east coast of Scotland experiencing the most sunshine. Showers are forecast for the north west of England, west coast of Scotland and the south west near Devon and Cornwall.

Clear skies tonight in most places and a bright start to tomorrow morning are likely, except for a band of rain moving from the west to the east that is likely to affect Northern Ireland, the western side of Scotland, parts of Wales and the north west of England until Wednesday.

Colder weather is expected to return on Friday with averages of 8C across many parts of the country.

The Met Office added that predictions for a white Christmas are usually made about five days before the 25th however “the odds on it actually happening continue to fall.”