UK (Parliament Politics Magazine) – A white Christmas looks unlikely across the UK, but health officials have issued a cold weather alert as temperatures fall nationwide.
Forecasters say that a white Christmas is “highly unlikely,” but the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has issued a yellow cold health advisory for southwest England from 6 p.m. on Christmas Day to midday on December 27.
According to the organization, “increased use of healthcare services by vulnerable people” and a “greater risk to life of vulnerable people” are two modest effects of cold temperatures on health and social care services.
A spokesman for the Met Office, Oli Claydon, told the Press Association that Christmas Day would be “pretty decent,” with mostly dry weather.
“The other notable factor will be the wind, so with the positioning of the high pressure there is quite a strong easterly wind, particularly across the south coast of England, so it could be quite gusty there.
High pressure is now firmly in control of the weather across the UK, bringing a much more settled spell, and also cooler temperatures than we’ve had of late,”
he said.
Christmas Day will begin brightly in the south of England, and when the clouds clear, it will extend to Wales. It will be cloudier further north, but by midday, it will start to clear up with “some good sunny spells,” according to Claydon.
The forecaster stated that the possibility of a white Christmas this year is “highly unlikely,” therefore anyone hoping for one would probably be let down.
He added:
“We’ve got a very dry picture across the UK over the next few days.
The only vague possibility is there’s a little band of rain that’s skirting westwards across the Channel through tomorrow and there’s an outside chance it could clip the south-west of England.
The chances of any snow falling out of that are very low.”
According to Claydon, the warmest temperatures on Christmas Day were predicted to reach roughly 7C in northeastern England and 6C in southern or southeast England.
Frost and freezing temperatures are likely in western rural regions, with temperatures as low as minus 4C in rural Wales and as low as minus 6C in rural parts of Scotland from Christmas Day through Boxing Day.
Regular commuter traffic is “likely to be far lighter,” according to the RAC, which predicted that celebratory getaway car trips will peak at 4.2 million on Christmas Eve.
A spokesperson for the RAC said:
“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.
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.”
How long will the UKHSA yellow alert remain in effect?
The UKHSA unheroic cold health alert is in effect from 6 pm on December 25 until noon on December 27, 2025, covering much of England with warnings of minor health service impacts from sub-zero late lows.
South- west England faces the full duration, while other areas like the North East and Yorkshire may see extensions if frosts persist; cautions can upgrade to amber if temperatures drop farther or winds complicate chill factors.
Check the UKHSA dashboard daily for updates, as Met Office vaccinations indicate icy patches through Boxing Day, egging alert for vulnerable groups amid no wide snow dislocation.