Britons are bracing for snowfall and a sharp drop in temperatures, which are set to fall to -2C on New Year’s Eve in some places.
The Met Office’s long-range forecast indicates that the mild and settled weather of the last few days will rapidly change as we approach the new year.
Snow will first fall over northern Scotland before moving further south at around 6pm on Monday.
As the evening progresses the snow is expected to get heavier and on Tuesday it could start moving further south to other parts of the UK.
Scotland will also be lashed by heavy rain and strong winds which will also be prevalent in the north and west of the UK.
Met Office meteorologist Tom Morgan said: “Not a lot changes through the rest of this week and indeed this weekend, but as we move towards the New Year we could see a change to cooler conditions and wetter conditions more widely.
“There could be some heavy rain at times and there is an increasing chance of some snow – but it’s too early to say where that snow is going to fall.”
Meanwhile, Boxing Day walkers and swimmers had a grey and mild day with some drizzle in places.
Conditions on Friday are expected to be “very similar” to Boxing Day, with temperatures of around 10C to 13C accompanied by cloud and patchy drizzle across Wales and south-west England, he continued.
Over the weekend, conditions in Scotland will be “a little bit windier and a little bit wetter”, with cloud and showers predicted elsewhere.
