2 weeks Ago By Lauran O'Toole
Large parts of the UK could wake up to a white Christmas on December 25 , with a dumping of snow predicted to hit the country. Brutal WXCHARTS weather maps for Christmas Day have turned various shades of purple and white, indicating that snow is firmly on its way. The updated weather maps predict that a flurry of towns and cities will be blanketed in snow.
Scotland is forecast to receive the brunt of the snow, with weather maps turning a dark purple on midday on Christmas Day - suggesting that heavy snowfall is likely. Major UK cities including Edinburgh and Glasgow could see between 2-3cm of the white stuff fall per hour. In England, the North East could record 3cm of snow.
Meanwhile areas set to avoid snow, such as Wales, could instead be swamped by a massive wall of rain covering nearly the entirety of the country. North Wales will see the worst of the downpours, with a maximum of 10mm of rain per hour forecast. Mid Wales will record 4mm of rain per hour.
The North West and North East will also be blanketed in rain, with key cities including Manchester and Newcastle forecast to get 4mm per hour. By midnight on Boxing Day, the brutal weather conditions show no sign of easing off, with the whole of the UK predicted to be engulfed by a wall of rain and snow. Weather maps forecast that almost the entirety of Scotland will see heavy snowfall, with depths of 4cm per hour likely.
Wales is predicted to have a whitewash Christmas with the country barely visible on weather maps, large parts of the country will see between 5-10mm of rainfall. South West England and the North West are also forecast to receive the brunt of the hammering rain. London wont escape the battering, with up to 2mm of rain per hour predicted in the capital.
Separately, in the Met Office 's weather update for Christmas Eve until January 7, the forecaster is warning that "some sleet and snow is likely at times, especially on high ground in the North". During this period, "unsettled conditions appear likely for most, with spells of wind and rain followed by showers affecting most areas but especially the north and northwest of the UK". However, there are signs that more settled conditions are sometimes possible, "these perhaps most likely across the south late in December or into early January".
Temperatures are likely to be around average overall..
