Met Office gives update on whether UK will get a White Christmas

If you're dreaming of a white Christmas, just like the ones you used to know, then you're in the right place.

It's ironic how those who stay indoors on Christmas Day are desperate for it to be snowing outside.

Although, there's no doubt that the festive period does feel a lot more festive when the weather coincides with the occasion.

But the last time we actually got 'widespread and substantial snow' on Christmas Day was way back in 2010, according to the Met Office.

And it seems that the talk of a white Christmas this year is being fuelled by Ladbrokes' betting odds for snow to fall anywhere in the UK.

They predict that Edinburgh and Newcastle are the 'most likely destinations to see snow' at 2/1 and 5/2 respectively.

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Here are Ladbrokes' white Christmas odds:

Edinburgh – 2/1

Newcastle – 5/2

Belfast – 3/1

Manchester – 5/1

Liverpool – 6/1

Birmingham – 8/1

Cardiff – 8/1

Dublin – 8/1

London – 8/1

Spokesman Alex Apati said: “Punters dreaming of a white Christmas are odds-on to get their wish.”

But before you get excited, the Met Office has urged people to take this prediction with a 'pinch of salt'.

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Met Office spokeswoman Nicola Maxey said last month: “Christmas is still a month away, so it is impossible with this lead time to have any confidence in a detailed forecast.

“There is often a fine line between who sees snow and who sees rain. Sometimes just a fraction of a degree Celsius change in temperature can make the difference between rain or snow falling, making forecasting snow weeks in advance extremely difficult.

“The definition of a white Christmas most widely used is for a single snowflake to be observed falling in the 24 hours of December 25.

“Therefore, snow falls ‘somewhere’ in the UK for more Christmas days than not. But widespread snow falling and lying on the ground is rather more infrequent.

“For widespread and substantial snow on the ground on Christmas Day we have to go back to 2010.”

Now, in a new weather update, Forecaster Stephen Dixon said: “We’re looking for trends. And what we’ve seen in recent weeks looks like it will be continuing.

“We reckon we’ll see more wet and windy conditions this month.

"There are some signals of cooler spells, but at this stage it looks like rain is more likely than snow.”

Topics: Weather, UK News

Anish Vij

Anish is a GG2 Young Journalist of the Year 2024 finalist. He has a Master's degree in Multimedia Journalism and a Bachelor's degree in International Business Management. Apart from that, his life revolves around the ‘Four F’s’ - family, friends, football and food. Email: [email protected]

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