Mostly dry today if you're braving the town centre for some last minute Xmas shopping. It's mild for now too, but turning colder from the north from tomorrow and into Christmas day.
From today the sun begins it's journey northward again, but you'll hardly notice over the next few weeks as progress, to begin with, is very slow. Until mid-January, we also have a strange phenomena of the mornings still getting darker by another minute or so, while the evenings begin to 'draw out'. It's due to the solar day varying slightly in length, because of the tilt of the earth. This causes the earth's spin to speed up or slow down slightly, while the clocks maintain at a constant speed. This apparent early 'drawing out' of the evenings can best be seen when skies are clear, but in the next few days, we'll hardly notice this, as it'll be mostly cloudy in a very mild run-up to the festive season.
Pressure continues high across southern and central areas today, keeping most parts dry. A very moist air mass, however, is giving very low cloud, mist and some fog, particularly over coasts and hills in the West. This'll bring patchy drizzle, with any heavier bursts of rain through the day restricted to the far North West of Scotland and the Northern Isles. Like yesterday skies will break in places to give some winter sunshine, most likely where you have shelter such as to East of the Pennines, to the lee of the Welsh mountains and in the South, but most parts keep a lot of cloud. A South Westerly wind will be lighter in the South but fresh further North, with strong gusts likely across Orkney, Shetland and the far North of Scotland later. It'll be very mild, with top temperatures 9 to 12 even 13 or 14C to the lee of hills.
After dark Atlantic systems to the North of Scotland move South before retreating northwards again. This'll bring some rain for a time to Scotland and Northern Ireland that'll be heavy in the North and West, but patchy in the East and South, with parts of Cumbria also perhaps seeing mostly light rain briefly. Elsewhere apart from a little drizzle in the West, it'll stay dry if though damp 'under foot'. In a misty evening and night, western coasts and hills continue to see patchy fog, with lighter breezes across the Midlands and South perhaps allowing patchy fog to form in rural areas where skies clear for any length of time. A South West wind remains fresh to strong in the North, with gales likely for a time over exposed parts of North and West Scotland. In another very night, temperatures shouldn't fall below 7 to 10C.
Pressure begins to leak away on Christmas Eve but will still be high in the South, keeping us on the mild side of the Jet Stream.
Rain over North West Scotland some of it heavy, comes South again to affect much of Scotland and Northern Ireland through the day and probably Cumbria later, in a fresh or strong South West wind that'll give gales in exposed areas. Much of England and Wales also see more of a South West wind, but here it continues dry apart from patchy drizzle. Most parts keep a lot of cloud, but more of a breeze will help to lift the gloom, with parts of the East and South most likely to see skies break to give a few sunny intervals. The far North West of Scotland may turn colder, but for most, it'll be very mild once more with top temperatures 9 to 12, locally 13 or 14C again to the lee of hills.
Little change is expected after dark, with Scotland and Northern Ireland seeing further rain at times heavy in places, in a fresh or strong South West wind. Later in the night, the wind may decrease ahead of somewhat colder air approaching from the North West. Apart from patchy drizzle and some rain over Cumbria and in the West later, England and Wales continue dry and very mild. So Santa shouldn't too much in the way of clothing for his rounds in a quite balmy South West to southerly wind, as temperatures except over North West Scotland fall no lower 7 to 10C.
The only place to see snow on Christmas Day seems likely to be the hills of Scotland, but it will be turning much more unsettled over the festive period. It'll also be colder for a while too, but temperatures in the run-up to the New Year will vary. In the meantime, a very merry Christmas to you all.
