Weather forecast: Met Office reveals when snow set to hit UK on Christmas week, but not for long

There may be a white Christmas after all, says the Met Office, as unsettled conditions continue to prevail with wintry showers battering some parts of the UK. In the latest weather update on Monday (December 18), the forecasters said it is 'likely' for the white stuff to arrive in the north of the country, but this did not result in widespread snow.

Met Office Deputy Chief Meteorologist, Helen Caughey, said: “As we begin Christmas Day, wintry showers initially feeding in across the north in the colder air mass would technically make it a white Christmas, as we only need to see a single flake falling. Elsewhere, while it is likely at first to be mostly dry there is the potential for rain approaching from the west later on.

"As this moves east, we may see rain turning to snow, at least over high ground. It’s unlikely that we will see widespread or settling snow giving any proper accumulations. Although technically it might be a white Christmas, don’t get your hopes up for a picture-perfect white landscape.”

Through the weekend, particularly in the northern regions, wintry showers will persist, said the Met Office, leading to a likelihood of frost in rural areas on Christmas morning due to the colder conditions. However, this colder phase is expected to be short-lived, as milder and more unsettled Atlantic conditions are set to return from the west later on Christmas Day or early on Boxing Day.

In the run-up to Christmas, the Met Office has issued a yellow warning for strong winds later this week, before the weather turns colder over the northern sections due to low pressure, which is expected to bring rain to most of the south. The warning, which covers Scotland, Northern Ireland, Northern England and the north of Wales, begins from midnight on Thursday (December 21) and lasts until 11.59pm.

Meanwhile, the Met Office said showers will continue into the UK's north, where they may fall as snow on the Scottish hills. Through Wednesday, brisk westerlies will bring further rain to most areas, and over the higher hills in Scotland the likelihood of a short spell of snow before it turns mild for most.

A notably deep area of low pressure, said the forecasters, will track to the north of the UK over the Norwegian Sea through Wednesday night and into Thursday, bringing very strong winds and heavy showers to a large portion of the UK.

Met Office Deputy Chief Meteorologist, Helen Caughey, said: “Wind speeds will increase from the northwest through Wednesday evening and overnight, so that by Thursday there is a risk of  gusts of 50-60mph for a large swathe of central and northern parts of the UK. Coastal locations, higher ground, and areas to the east of high ground could see gusts of 70-80mph. Due to the scale of the low pressure to the north of the UK, it is possible this event could  persist across some areas into Friday, so we recommend keeping up to date with the Met Office forecast.”

It will remain windy as the area of low pressure moves away to the east across Scandinavia, with frequent showers continuing in western areas with the southeast of the UK remaining mostly dry.