The UK Health Security Agency has issued a yellow cold health alert for south-west England running from 6pm on Christmas Day through to midday on December 27. The warning coincides with Met Office forecasts of a cold, dry Christmas across the UK – but a white Christmas is deemed "highly unlikely".
The health alert warns of potential minor impacts on health and social care services, including "increased use of healthcare services by vulnerable people" and "greater risk to life of vulnerable people". Temperatures are forecast to drop as low as minus 6°C in rural Scotland overnight from Christmas Day into Boxing Day, with rural Wales potentially reaching minus 4°C.
Met Office spokesman Oli Claydon told the Press Association that high pressure is now firmly in control of UK weather, bringing cooler conditions than recent weeks. He described Christmas Day conditions as "pretty decent" despite the chill.
Christmas Day conditions
"On Christmas Day there will be a bright start in the south of England and then into Wales as well as the cloud clears," Claydon said. "It will be cloudier further north, but there will be some cloud breaks starting to break through by lunchtime, and some good sunny spells establishing further north as well."
Most areas will see maximum temperatures of just 4°C to 5°C on Christmas Day, with around 7°C forecast for north-east England and 6°C in south or south-east England. "The other notable factor will be the wind, so with the positioning of the high pressure there is a quite strong easterly wind, particularly across the south coast of England, so it could be quite gusty there," Claydon added.
He confirmed the white Christmas verdict is "highly unlikely", stating: "We've got a very dry picture across the UK over the next few days." The only remote possibility is a band of rain skirting westwards across the Channel that could clip south-west England, but "the chances of any snow falling out of that are very low".
Peak festive travel
An estimated 4.2 million car trips are expected on Christmas Eve as the festive getaway reaches its peak. The RAC warns that traffic will be heaviest on major roads between 1pm and 7pm.
"Traffic is expected to be heaviest on major roads between 1pm and 7pm, so our advice to drivers – especially those travelling longer distances – is to set out before this time if possible," an RAC spokesperson said. "Main roads to watch for jams are the clockwise northern and western sections of the M25 from mid-morning, and the M5 north from Gloucestershire towards the West Midlands later in the afternoon."
Regular commuter traffic is likely to be far lighter than festive getaway traffic, potentially easing some congestion.
New Year outlook
Weather maps from WX Charts suggest a significant snow storm could hit the UK around New Year's Day, bringing freezing air from continental Europe. The forecast indicates temperatures could drop to minus 5°C in Scotland and Newcastle, with snow depths of 8-14cm possible in parts of Scotland and 2-6cm elsewhere.
The Met Office's long-range forecast for December 28 to January 6 predicts settled conditions will continue: "High pressure is likely to dominate across the UK at the start of this period and through to the end of the year." It adds that weather will be "largely settled and for many places it will remain dry", though there is "a small chance that more unsettled, wetter and milder weather could develop at times, particularly in the north".
Note: This article was created with Artificial Intelligence (AI).
