Although it's been a particularly mild festive period, the UK's highest Christmas temperature of 15.6C at Gordon Castle, Banff, in 1931 remained intact, with 15.2C noted at Cassley in Sutherland on the 24th. Christmas Eve did, however, see a long-standing record broken across Northern Ireland when 14.3C was reached at Milligan on the north Derry coast, provisionally the mildest across the province for 82 years.
Whilst it's been a largely dry Christmas with mainly light winds, most parts experienced significant cloud cover, making it gloomy and misty, though there were a few exceptions.
On Christmas Day, parts of the East and North East saw up to 6 hours of winter sunshine, with similar areas together with North East Scotland perhaps lucky enough to see further sunny intervals this afternoon. There is a slow-moving front across central Scotland and Northern Ireland that's bringing some rain to consider, but for most, we maintain the quiet, mild, dry weather as pressure remains high over Britain. So it'll be ideal this afternoon for walking off the Christmas turkey, or perhaps for attending one of the traditional Boxing Day sporting fixtures up and down the country.
After dark, it'll be northern Scotland's turn to see some rain, as that front moves slightly further northward. Elsewhere it remains mild and mainly dry, with light winds. It becomes misty fairly generally and quite foggy in places, thick enough to produce a little drizzle here and there. In another mild, frost-free night, temperatures are unlikely to fall below 5 to 9C.
Friday sees much of the same, with widespread dull, misty or even foggy weather once more. This will tend to linger, but skies should lift a little, although most parts remain dull and overcast. Again there'll be exceptions, with North East Scotland, eastern England to the lee of the Pennines, parts of East Wales and the Midlands probably best placed to see a few sunny intervals breaking through. Meanwhile, the North of Scotland will continue to experience further rain at times, which may return a little further southward again in a South Westerly breeze. For most, winds stay light in another mild day, with top temperatures ranging from 8 to 11C.
After dark, the mist returns together with some fog, mostly over England and Wales where winds will remain light. Across Scotland and Northern Ireland, that front could bring some rain as far south as The Borders by morning, followed by broken skies and somewhat colder weather further north. Expect another mild night for most though, with temperatures generally no lower than 4 to 8C.
The weekend sees a gradual change to breezier conditions from the north. This will eventually clear away the mist, fog and murk, but will also bring a few showers, chiefly to Scotland and the North. Elsewhere the emphasis should remain on dry weather, but it'll feel somewhat colder and fresher, with a touch of frost probably returning, mainly to some sheltered Scottish glens.
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