Will it be a white Christmas this year?

Mr Morgan said: “Most places will have a dry and cloudy day.

“A few places will see a few glimmers of sunshine, but you’ll be fairly lucky to see much brightness on Christmas Day.

“Boxing Day will be very similar. It’s another cloudy and mild day, with a few glimmers of brightness, particularly in north-east England and the Midlands,” he added.

“Some places in northern Scotland, like Shetland, should see some sunshine.”

The Met Office said the weather is expected to turn towards Dec 30, with colder and rainier conditions expected to settle across the UK.

Mr Morgan said: “Not a lot changes through the rest of this week and indeed this weekend, but as we move towards the New Year, we could see a change to cooler conditions and wetter conditions more widely.

“There could be some heavy rain at times and there is an increasing chance of some snow, but it’s too early to say where that snow is going to fall.”