By Rob Cooper
Last updated at 4:30 PM on 13th December 2010
Britain will have a white Christmas this year with heavy snowfall on December 25 a 'foregone conclusion', forecasters said today.
Bitterly cold winds from the Arctic will blanket London, Scotland, the north and the south-east in snow on Christmas Day, long-term weather predictors have said.
But bookmakers were less certain, with William Hill putting Christmas snow at 3/1 in Edinburgh, Glasgow and Newcastle.
Ice ahead: Skaters enjoy Edinburgh's Ice Rink in Princes Street Gardens. Forecasters predict Britain will be covered in ice on Friday morning - and a White Christmas is a 'foregone conclusion'
Christmas shoppers: People hit Princes Street in Edinburgh to buy gifts for December 25 during the weekend thaw. A second big freeze is due to start on Thursday and continue into the New Year
Holiday firms have seen a sharp increase in breaks being booked overseas because Britons want to get away from the weather. Travel Counsellors, a holiday firm, were reporting a 20 per cent increase in bookings.
A second big freeze which is expected to last into the New Year will start on Thursday after a weekend of milder temperatures allowed shoppers to go out and buy presents.
Up to 2.5billion was spent on gifts over the weekend - with the average consumer spending 50 each, experts said.
But families who ordered presents online will face an anxious wait to see if they are delivered in time for Christmas because of the fresh blast of snow expected to hit later this week.
The Met Office are predicting 'significant accumulations' of snow and a risk of drifting because of strong winds from Thursday.
Ice is likely to cause travel chaos for commuters on Friday morning as rain from the previous day is likely to freeze overnight.
Jonathan Powell, a senior forecaster with Positive Weather Solutions who specialise in long-term predictions, said a white Christmas is 'almost certain'.
'After initial snow this week there will be milder air to the north and colder air to the north. The cold line will push down from the north and we will see snow,' he told the Mail Online.
'It is looking most favourable in the north-east, the east and south-east part of the country and in Scotland. There will be snowfall in London.
'A white Christmas is more or less a foregone conclusion and the data has almost consistently been saying that. The west and south of the Midlands are least likely to see snow.
'I think you will see more than a few snowflakes. The potential is there for a covering or at least a dusting. Our models consistently show there will be snow.'
On Christmas Day, temperatures are unlikely to get above -1C in England and -4C in the Highlands in Scotland, Mr Powell predicted.
Met Office forecasters said there was a 'possibility' of a white Christmas this year, but refused to comment further because long-range forecasts are notoriously difficult.
But they said parts of Scotland will see up to six inches of snow (15 centimetres) on Thursday while coastal areas of England in the west could see four inches (10 centimetres).
Britain will see a prolonged period of snowfall which will last into the early part of next week.
Unlike during the first cold spell, this week's snow will be accompanied by winds from the North Pole of up to 50mph - meaning giant snowdrifts are likely to turn roads into walls of snow.
Race against time: A huge backlog caused by the first wave of wintry weather has already forced postmen to make Sunday deliveries in order to hit the Christmas deadline. Above, a postie does the rounds in Bingham, Nottinghamshire
High winds will buffet the north on Wednesday, and the whole country on Thursday, with temperatures plummeting towards -15C before more snow next week threatens a white Christmas.
The Met Office predicted the Big Freeze's second wave will last for another month - until January 9 - putting the country on course for a winter some forecasters say will be colder than the infamously-cold 1962-63 winter.
Helen Chivers, a Met Office forecaster, told the Mail Online: 'On Thursday for the most part it's going to be raining with a lot in the east and west and across northern England.
'There will be some snow during the day but overnight it is likely to be falling in Scotland and the coastal areas.
'On Thursday night and Friday the problem is going to be ice. When the rain stops it is going to freeze.
'We are likely to see snow over several days.'
Postmen in parts of Yorkshire made deliveries yesterday, and Royal Mail bosses have predicted today will prove their 'busiest day of the year'.
While the Royal Mail's guarantee for next day Special Delivery items has been withdrawn because of the bad weather, last Christmas post remains December 15 for standard parcels, December 18 for second class, and December 21 for first class.
A spokesman said: 'We're working very hard, but as always we encourage people to post mail or place online orders as early as possible.'
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- People:
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- Organisations:
- Met Office
Oh goody, you mean the same as the last 10 years .........................
- Brian, Aberdeenshire, 13/12/2010 18:23
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