NI's Dreams Of White Christmas Dashed

Ulster’s hopes of a white Christmas have been ruined with weather forecasters predicting that temperatures may even reach double figures over the festive weekend.

According early suggestion milder conditions are expected to continue over the festive break, with "no indication" at all of harsh winter weather on the horizon.

It is understood that temperatures could reach as high as 12 degrees celsius and Christmas Day in Northern Ireland will be breezy, most cloudy and mild.

Sky weather producer Joanna Robinson said: "We're seeing milder air being introduced across Britain and Ireland. It looks to stay fairly mild through to Boxing Day, although there will be a brief colder spell on Friday and perhaps Christmas Eve (Saturday). Not as cold as the weekend just gone though.

"For Christmas Day itself, a mild south-westerly flow should allow temperatures to range between 9C (48F) and 12C (54F). That's a couple of degrees above the average for the time of year, although with the cloud, wind and rain it probably won't feel quite that mild."

The temperatures haven’t peaked this far in Northern Ireland since 2003 and indeed the bookies odds are stacked against a white Christmas but many bookmakers are taking bets of December 25 being the warmest for decades.

(LB/GK)