Stay up to date with notifications from The Independent

Notifications can be managed in browser preferences.

Parts of UK set for warmest Christmas Day in almost a decade

Dreams of a White Christmas have been shattered for most of the country.

Ted Hennessey
Sunday 24 December 2023 19:01 EST
A swimmer in the sea in Dawlish Warren, south Devon on Christmas Eve (Yui Mok/PA)
A swimmer in the sea in Dawlish Warren, south Devon on Christmas Eve (Yui Mok/PA) (PA Wire)

Your support helps us to tell the story

From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.

At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.

The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.

Your support makes all the difference.

Christmas Day is set to be the warmest in almost a decade, with forecasters predicting highs of 14C.

Dreams of a White Christmas have been shattered for most of the UK, with “very mild” temperatures continuing after the country saw its warmest December 24 for more than 20 years.

However, some areas in northern Scotland are likely to see some snow, technically making it a White Christmas, which is defined by the Met Office as a single snowflake falling on December 25.

Predicted highs of 13 to 14C in London and the south-east of England would make it the mildest Christmas Day since 2016, when temperatures reached 15.1C.

The average maximum temperature for December is 7C.

Forecaster Dan Stroud said: “It’s unlikely to be a record-breaker in terms of warmth but still very mild nevertheless.

“The reason for that is we’re drawing our weather from the mid-Atlantic which is typically a very warm direction for us.”

Monday will be “damp and miserable” for much of England and Wales, while northern areas, Scotland and Northern Ireland are forecast to have a mix of sunny spells and showers.

It comes after temperatures in Heathrow, south-west London, and Cippenham, Berkshire, hit 15.3C on Sunday, making it the warmest Christmas Eve since 1997.

Wind speeds of up to 70mph were recorded in Scotland, reaching 60mph in the north-east of England.

The warmest December 25 on record was 15.6C in 1920, while the highest Christmas Eve temperatures of 15.5C were set in Aberdeen and Banff in Scotland in 1931.

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in