Christmas Day to be hottest in seven years after warmest Christmas Eve since 1997, Met Office says

25 December 2023, 09:30

By Kieran Kelly

@kellyjourno

The UK will likely see its hottest Christmas Day in seven years, making a White Christmas unlikely for most.

Some parts of the country could see highs of 14C, with weather to be mild and wet for most of the day.

It came after the UK saw its warmest Christmas Eve in over 20 years.

Temperatures in Heathrow, south-west London, hit 15.3C on Sunday, well above average for the time of year, making it the warmest December 24 since 1997.

Temperatures are not expected to reach as high as the record 15.6C that was recorded in 1920.

But it could be the warmest Christmas day in seven years, when highs of 15.1C were recorded.

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Met Office forecaster Liam Eslick said: "It's been an exceptionally mild couple of days across all of the UK, temperatures have been well above average for the time of year, the maximum for December being 7C.

"Temperatures (on Sunday) reached 15C in quite a few locations across the UK, the highest being 15.3C in two locations - one in Heathrow and one in Cippenham, Berkshire."

Through the evening, a band of persistent rain will push into Wales, southern England, and Northern Ireland, with heavier bursts likely across western parts.

By the early hours, rain will have reached northern England and southern Scotland.

Meanwhile, there will be a cloudy night to the far north.