Parts of UK set for warmest Christmas Day in almost a decade with highs of 14C

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Swimmers pose for a photo as they take part in the Christmas Day swim at Tynemouth Longsands in the North East of England. Credit: PA

The Met Office has provisionally recorded the highest daily minimum temperature for Christmas Day on record.

Dreams of a White Christmas have been shattered for most of the UK, with “very mild” temperatures continuing after the country saw its warmest December 24 for more than 20 years.

However, some areas in northern Scotland are likely to see some snow, technically making it a White Christmas, which is defined by the Met Office as a single snowflake falling on December 25.

The temperatures in Exeter Airport and East Malling have not fallen below 12.4C, the forecasting body announced in a post on X.

It said: “It has been a very mild 24 hours across parts of the UK . Provisionally this Christmas we have recorded the highest daily minimum temperature for Christmas Day on record, with both Exeter Airport and East Malling not falling below 12.4C”.

Forecaster Dan Stroud said: “It’s unlikely to be a record-breaker in terms of warmth but still very mild nevertheless.

“The reason for that is we’re drawing our weather from the mid-Atlantic which is typically a very warm direction for us.”

Monday will be “damp and miserable” for much of England and Wales, while northern areas, Scotland and Northern Ireland are forecast to have a mix of sunny spells and showers.

It comes after temperatures in Heathrow, south-west London, and Cippenham, Berkshire, hit 15.3C on Sunday, making it the warmest Christmas Eve since 1997.

Wind speeds of up to 70mph were recorded in Scotland, reaching 60mph in the north-east of England.

The warmest December 25 on record was 15.6C in 1920, while the highest Christmas Eve temperatures of 15.5C were set in Aberdeen and Banff in Scotland in 1931.

Swimmers take a Christmas Day dip in Blackroot Pool at Sutton Park, in Sutton Coldfield, Birmingham. Credit: PA

Christmas swimmers enjoy milder conditions

People across the country enjoyed milder conditions as they went swimming outdoors to kick off their Christmas Day celebrations.

Some members of the Serpentine Swimming Club who took part in the Peter Pan Cup race, which is held every Christmas Day at the Serpentine, in Hyde Park, central London, wore Santa hats for their festive dip. The race is believed to be the world’s oldest continuously contested swimming competition, having been run since 1864. It has been associated with the author JM Barrie since 1903 when he donated the Peter Pan Cup. The air temperature in London was a mild 12C, meaning the swimmers faced less of a chill than in previous years. Meanwhile, in Tynemouth, North Tyneside, smaller groups took to the North Sea for a bracing swim. The sea was calm and around 6C, slightly cooler than the air temperature on the North East coast on Christmas Day.


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