Boxing Day snow and ice warnings after parts of UK see white Christmas

Mild temperatures expected in southern parts of country, with highs of 7C in London

Temperatures dropped to freezing in parts of Scotland on Christmas Day (Reuters)

Snow and ice is set to hit the UK on Boxing Day, with the Met Office warning of travel disruption in parts of the country.

Blizzards are expected to sweep across Scotland on Monday, with the forecaster issuing a weather warning from 9pm on Christmas Day until 6pm on Monday.

The warnings extend to Northern Ireland on Boxing Day, with icy patches expected to cause some delays on public transport on Monday morning.

Temperatures will drop to 0C in parts of Scotland, with the village of Dalwhinnie expected to have one of the coldest evenings, with lows of -2C expected overnight.

Milder temperatures are expected in southern parts of the country, with Birmingham expected to reach 6C by Monday afternoon, while London and Cardiff will reach highs of 7C.

The warnings come after the Met Office confirmed a white Christmas for the UK after sleet – a mixture of rain and snow – was reported in Loch Glascarnoch in Scotland and Lough Fea in Northern Ireland.

According to the forecaster, a white Christmas is defined as a single snowflake falling anywhere in the UK on Christmas Day.

Ahead of Christmas Day, Met Office deputy chief meteorologist David Oliver said: “An unsettled Christmas weekend is on the way for many, with those in the north and west seeing the most frequent and the heaviest showers.

“High winds will affect some coasts through the weekend with gales in places, especially the north and west.”

It comes as forecasters predicted that Britain would see its “snowiest January in 12 years” as an Arctic blast from the US travelled towards the UK.

However, the conditions across the Atlantic will not have any direct impact on the country's weather, said Mr Oliver.

“Rather, the temperature contrasts that develop across the North Atlantic as a result of this will help strengthen the jet stream, which plays a big role in the weather we get in the UK,” he said.

“The jet stream will help to develop low-pressure systems which are likely to affect the UK between Christmas and new year. These will bring some wet and windy weather at times and the chance of some snow in the north of the UK, as is often the case at this time of year.”