No snow for Xmas say forecasters

Across the country we are about to bask in one of the mildest December spells on record although further gales and heavy downpours still threaten to dampen Scottish spirits.

And the super-mild spell has left Mother Nature scratching her head with spring flowers in bloom in the south of the country already.

Exacta Weather’s James Madden said: “Milder conditions will bring further wind and rain. However it will become unsettled again with low pressure and weather fronts bringing periods of potentially heavy rain, in particular, in some parts to the north and west of the country.

“Going into Christmas week it will begin to turn much drier in places but temperatures will gradually start to dip as we revert back to normal conditions.

The last widespread White Christmas in the UK was in 2010. It was extremely unusual, as not only was there snow on the ground at 83 per cent of recording stations — the highest amount ever recorded — but snow or sleet also fell at 19 per cent of stations during the day.