A cold health alert and multiple weather warnings were in force across parts of the UK on Christmas Day, as forecasters dampened hopes of a traditional white Christmas.
The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) issued a yellow cold health alert for south-west England, running from 18:00 on Christmas Day until midday on 27 December. The warning highlights increased risks to health, particularly for older people and those with existing medical conditions.
Meanwhile, the Met Office put a yellow wind warning in place for south-west England, Somerset and much of Wales, stretching from Cardiff and Swansea to Bangor. Strong gusts battered coastal areas, peaking at 68mph (109km/h) at Berry Head in Torbay early on Thursday.
Blustery conditions led to the cancellation of some Christmas and Boxing Day swimming events in Devon and Cornwall, although others went ahead despite the cold.
In London, around 400 swimmers took to the water at the Serpentine in Hyde Park, with roughly 100 competing in the annual Peter Pan Cup. This year’s winner, Dave Bill, described the victory as a “real honour”, saying cold-water swimming was “one of the most rewarding things” and helped calm his nervous system.
The Met Office warning covers 18 of Wales’ 22 council areas, with exposed coasts and upland areas bearing the brunt of the winds.
BBC Weather’s Matt Taylor said temperatures across south-west England ranged between 1C and 4C (34F to 39F) on Christmas morning, but felt “below freezing due to the wind chill”. Gusts exceeded 40mph in several locations, reaching 43mph in Plymouth and 49mph at Liscombe on Exmoor.
Met Office spokesman Oli Claydon said it was “highly unlikely” the UK would see a white Christmas, pointing to largely dry conditions nationwide over the coming days.
However, snow did fall in Jersey on Thursday morning. The Jersey Met Section said it was only the third time snow had been recorded on Christmas Day since records began, and the first such occurrence since 1970. Photo by Panhard, Wikimedia commons.