VIDEO: Will it be a white Christmas? (From Surrey Comet)

Will it be a white Christmas in London?

1:33pm Wednesday 21st December 2011 in News

Londoners dreaming of a white Christmas look set to be disappointed, according to Met Office forecasters.

The latest predictions from the Met Office indicate this Christmas will be mild and cloudy rather than cold and snowy, with a fair amount of cloud for many and a stiff breeze in some parts of the north.

The run up to Christmas will also be rather mild for the time of year, although with a brief chillier spell on Friday with the chance of a few wintry showers in north west Scotland.

Chief forecaster at the Met Office, Martin Young, said: "In stark contrast to last year the chance of any of us actually seeing a white Christmas this year is almost negligible.

"In fact it is more likely to be a Christmas of rather grey skies and green grass."

Temperatures on Christmas day are likely to range between 8°C and 12°C, 2 or 3°C above what would normally be expected at this time of year.

Despite the mild conditions, Christmas is likely to be far from memorable in the record books. The mildest ever Christmas Day was 15.6°C at Killerton, Devon, in 1920 and Leith, Edinburgh in 1896. The chilliest Christmas was last year when temperatures didn't rise above -7.8°C at Llysdinam, Powys.

However, if you still fancy a bet on it being a white Christmas, bookmaker Stan James is offering 10-1, with Bet Fair offering 28-1.