Low pressure will bring unsettled weather early this week, with  rain affecting Scotland and Northern Ireland on Monday morning. Elsewhere, cloud will gradually lift to leave a brighter afternoon, although a few showers remain possible in Cornwall.

Tuesday will be mostly cloudy, with easterly winds slowly strengthening and making it feel colder for many.

A settled and chilly Christmas

On Christmas Eve (Wednesday), temperatures will fall as high pressure brings drier, more settled conditions with chilly easterly winds.

Christmas Day is expected to be mostly dry with variable amounts of cloud and sunny spells in places. A few light showers are possible, particularly along southwestern coasts later in the day. Daytime temperatures could be as low as 2°C but will feel colder in the strong easterly breeze.

Paul Gundersen, Chief Meteorologist at the Met Office, said: “The question we get most at this time of year is about the chance of snow on Christmas Day. There’s a small chance of light showers, which, if they occur, will be a mix of rain, sleet and some snow over higher ground. The chance is relatively low as it stands, and there are no strong signals for significant or widespread snowfall.

"As always, we advise everyone to keep up to date with the latest Met Office forecasts and warnings, especially if you’re making plans over the festive period.”

For the Met Office to declare a ‘white Christmas’, a single snowflake must be observed falling during the 24 hours of 25 December, either by an official Met Office observer or by a Met Office automated weather station.

Beyond Christmas

High pressure is likely to remain close to the UK in the run-up to the New Year, bringing largely settled conditions with frost and fog in places.

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