A change in weather patterns could bring a festive chill across the UK nest week, with the Met Office hinting at the possibility of a white Christmas as temperatures drop.
After weeks of wet and windy weather, marked by severe weather warnings and named storms, forecasters say conditions are expected to turn calmer in the run up to Christmas. From Monday (December 22), high pressure is forecast to build from the north and northeast.
By Tuesday (December 23) and Christmas Eve, the Met Office says there is a 50-60 per cent chance the area of high pressure will sit to the north, bringing quieter and drier weather to most UK areas.
The Met Office currently forecasts light winds, dry weather and some sunshine across the country on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. It also forecasts an easterly flow of air that is expected to lead to colder temperatures.
Daytime highs are expected to sit a few degrees below the average for this time of year at around 5-7C, with frost becoming 'more frequent' across the UK, as well as mist and fog patches.
Commenting on the probability of a white Christmas, the Met Office said in a blog post on Thursday (December 18): "While it's too early to say with certainty, a few wintry showers may develop around some eastern coasts during the Christmas period.
"Any snow that does fall looks likely to be light and patchy, with no sign at present of anything widespread or disruptive.
"Technically, only one snowflake recorded anywhere in the UK is needed for it to be a 'white Christmas', so it remains a possibility, albeit a slim one this year."
After Christmas, high pressure is expected to remain the dominant feature, with Boxing Day forecast to be 'dry and settled' and temperatures set to dip further. The forecaster said eastern and central parts of the UK could feel a 'more noticeable chill', while weather areas could be milder.
It added: "The main weather-related impacts over the festive period are likely to come from the return of overnight frost, the potential for icy patches on untreated surfaces, and some lingering fog that could affect travel.
"For many, however, it looks like a welcome spell of calmer weather after a particularly unsettled start to December."