The chance of more snow and ice are increasingly likely over the Christmas period, the Met Office says.
The national weather service's long-range forecast states colder weather is expected to return during the festive season. It concerns the period of Wednesday December 20 to Wednesday January 3.
Writing on its website, the Met Office predicted: "Most likely to be unsettled with further bands of rain crossing the UK with brighter conditions and showers in between. The wettest and windiest conditions are most likely in the west and northwest. The chance of a colder spell of weather, with hazard such as snow and ice, does increase later in December and into the New Year period. However, conditions are more likely to remain generally mild and wet."
Scenes may mirror what large swathes of the UK, including northeast England, experienced last week when temperatures plunged to -12.5C in Altnaharra, Scottish Highlands and -9.4C in Shap, Cumbria. More than 2,500 people in Cumbria were without electricity on Sunday morning, as the county’s fire and rescue service said it worked through the night to rescue drivers from cars trapped in deep snow.
And the next cold snap may lead, bookmakers reckon, to a white Christmas, as odds fell again today for snowfall anywhere in the UK at any point during December 25. Ladbrokes has it at 2/1 that Edinburgh will have a white Christmas, Newcastle is available at 5/2 to see snow on December 25, but London, Birmingham, Cardiff and Dublin are the least likely cities at 8/1.
Snow has fallen on Christmas Day in the UK 38 times since 1969 and the last occasion was 2010, although the south has not seen the white stuff since 2004. But, in the few weeks before Christmas, it'll be milder across the UK than of late. Temperatures could reach 12C in Plymouth, Devon, and 10C in and around Cardiff and Belfast by Friday.
Nick Finnis, forecaster for Netweather, wrote on the service's blog: "The weekend looks to remain changeable but milder than of late. A band of rain looks to spread north and east across Britain during Saturday, followed by brighter but windy conditions, with showers towards western coasts.
"Then after a dry and bright morning, Sunday may see another spell of wet and windy conditions spread north and east across all parts, followed by brighter conditions, with showers in the west, could be some gales – as a potentially deep low crosses the country, though too far out to know the track and depth of this low."
UK weather forecast
Today:
A cold and frosty start with patchy fog or freezing fog, slow to clear in places. Mostly dry with sunny spells, turning windier and cloudier from the west through the day with rain following later. Becoming milder in the southwest.
Tonight:
A band of locally heavy rain and associated strong winds with coastal gales, will move east and northeast overnight. Milder air will start to ebb northeast too.
Thursday:
Dull with pulses of rain, particularly heavy along south-facing hills and coasts. Becoming drier from the west during the afternoon. Widely windy with strong gusts and coastal gales. Noticeably milder.