Christmas snow likely as 80mph winds to hit UK today – live
UK weather- 60/70mph winds
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The UK is very likely in store for a white Christmas this year[1] with snow[2] expected in the north[3] of the country, according to the Met Office[4].
It comes as the Met Office issued a yellow weather warning[5] for today as strong winds are set to batter large swathes of the country.
Gales could reach up to 80mph in some areas, with the forecaster warning there is a danger to life.
As we head into Christmas weekend, there is a “high degree of confidence” that the UK will see snow over the Christmas period[6]- though this does not mean the country would be covered in blankets of snow.
“We can say with a high degree of confidence it will be a white Christmas this year[7],” Met Office spokesperson Grahame Madge told The Independent.
“However that does not mean we will see blankets of snow. It is more likely we will see snow in higher parts of the UK like the North Pennines or Scottish Highlands.”
Despite warmer temperatures in the south of the UK, the forecaster said snow could not be ruled out completely in the region.
Show latest update 1703061947
A person walking their dog on Tynemouth beach, Tyne and Wear, on the North East coast of England
(Owen Humphreys/PA Wire)
A beautiful sunrise on Tynemouth Beach
(Owen Humphreys/PA Wire)
Dog walkers amid a striking sunrise on Tynemouth beach as the UK wake up to blustery conditions
(Owen Humphreys/PA Wire)
Lydia Patrick20 December 2023 08:45
[8]1703060761Today’s forecast
The Met Office predict cloudy and blustery conditions with showers expected in north and west of the country.
Later in the evening conditions are expected to to be clear and dry in the south and east with outbreaks of rain and drizzle elsewhere. Scotland can expect heavier rain and strong gales.
Lydia Patrick20 December 2023 08:26
[9]1703055603UK weather forecast ahead of Christmas
The UK weather is expected to remain unsettled in the run up to Christmas with further rain, the Met Office forecast says.
The overall pattern will remain “generally mild”, but turning colder in the north from Sunday with some wintriness possible over the high ground.
A view of snow covered houses in Dover, Kent
(PA)
Stuti Mishra20 December 2023 07:00
[10]1703053803Where will we see White Christmas this year
With millions planning their Christmas getaway, Britons will be keen to know whether ice and snow will be on the cards when they hit the roads and railways towards the end of the week. The Met Office said it had a “high degree of confidence” there would be snowfall over the festive period[12].