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Christmas Weather and 'that' storm

No papers tomorrow so here’s the very latest outlook for Christmas Day and that storm which threatens unsettled conditions on Friday.

Most of us will wake to a crisp and sunny day tomorrow but unfortunately no snow, I believe the correct term is a ‘green Christmas’.

However, if you’ve put money on the white stuff all may not be lost, there is the chance of the odd flurry over high ground in the north - so fingers crossed.

It is certainly going to feel much cooler with temperatures in single figures during the day and possibly dropping to -6C overnight in some exposed places.

December has so far been very unusual with temperatures frequently hitting double figures. The trend echoes most of 2014 with every month bar august being warmer than average.

Overall, it is looking like a lovely Christmas Day with lots of scope for a crisp winter walk to work of the turkey and stuffing.

Weather Network forecaster Chris Burton said: “Christmas Day will be largely dry and sunny for much of the UK and although it will be chilly, most of us will have a green Christmas.

“However, there will be a scattering of showers across northern Scotland and down eastern and western coasts. These will be wintry over the higher ground and a few flakes of snow could make there way down to lower levels in the north.

'It will then be a cold and frosty night into Boxing Day. Temperatures will widely dip below 0C, with lows of –5C or –6C possible in rural areas in the north.”

All eyes have been Boxing Day this week with another ‘weather bomb’ prompting warnings of storms later in the day.

A repeat of a similar event which triggered strong winds and rain earlier in the month in Scotland was mooted, though this now looks unlikely.

Though it sounds dramatic, a weather bomb simply refers to a sharp drop in air pressure (24mb in 24 hours) which is associated with strong winds and rain.

An American term, it is being used more frequently, certainly since the recent storms which saw the phrase earn much popularity in the press.

As far as Boxing Day goes, it seems this dramatic fall is not likely to happen although it is still looking very unsettled for parts of the UK.

Winds of up to 60mph are forecast for coastal regions with rain in the north meeting cold air and turning to snow.

The Met Office has also raised the alert for snow and wind though until the weekend and there are some warnings out for this period on the website.

Looking forward to New Year’s Eve and it is remaining cold with revellers warned to wrap up warm if they are out and about.

Lean Brown, forecaster for the Weather Channel, said temperatures next week are likely to hover below freezing and also warned of a turn to more unsettled conditions on Friday.

He said: “We are sticking with our forecast for dry and frosty weather after this weekend lasting up to New Year. Very cold and sub-zero for New Year's Eve. 

“If travelling, get prepared for frost and ice and have antifreeze ready to hand.

“Christmas Day will be frosty, dry and sunny for much of the south. A scattering of showers over the Irish Sea and coasts with a few running inland over North Wales, Lancashire, Cheshire and possibly Staffordshire and Derbyshire. Beware freezing fog in central Scotland. Frosty over Scotland and temperatures not rising above zero all day in many areas.

“On Boxing Day low pressure developing over the Atlantic will track steadily east and deepen quite rapidly as it approaches North West Britain in the afternoon.”

James Madden, of Exacta Weather, again warned of some wet and windy weather on the way on Friday though the severity and track is still uncertain.

He said: “Although there is some uncertainty with the exact timing of the storm that is set to arrive later this week, it does look like quite a nasty feature that could cause some implications throughout Friday (Boxing Day) to Sunday on present indications. T

So overall not a bad Christmas, though the general advice from forecasters is to enjoy the calm tomorrow before things get messy later on.

Merry Christmas!