Visit www.weatheronline.co.uk - the UK's most comprehensive internet weather - talk live to our forecasters for the latest forecast and weather news. Call 090 666 444 80 (£1.50p/min)

Issued: 1000 Saturday 17th December 2005
Duty forecaster: Simon Keeling

Christmas Pressure Building...

That big question - What will the weather do on Christmas Day? - is still being asked of me several times a day.

The answer I have to give at the moment is that I am just not sure. Looking at the charts yesterday (Friday) I was happy as they had fallen in-line with my long range forecasts which, since the end of July, had been hinting at high pressure northeast of the British isles and an east to southeast wind flow through the country during the final week of December.

However, this morning (Saturday) things are again uncertain. Models now predict that high pressure will build, but keep things much milder. I'm still not certain about this and I suspect that the high will be to the east of the British Isles and so I am still favouring my original forecast.

So for now, I think that it is likely to be dry for most at Christmas, and possibly frosty. Thicker cloud may affect southern Ireland and southwest England with a risk of drizzle here. Of course, I could be spectacularly wrong!

Whatever the weather, keep the sun shining!
Simon