The Met Office has issued its verdict on whether we will see a white Christmas this year, and it may surprise many Britons.

The last time the UK experienced a widespread White Christmas was in 2010, when snow covered much of the country. However, the Met Office defines an official White Christmas more simply-as at least one snowflake falling anywhere in the UK on December 25.

By that definition, the most recent official White Christmas happened in 2023, even though snow was not widespread across the nation.

The Met Office said that the UK has a "very low chance" of a widespread white Christmas this year. However, the forecasters believe there is a chance of frost and freezing fog during that period.

High pressure is forecast to bring calm and dry conditions to the UK by December 25, with temperatures around or slightly below the seasonal average. Although widespread frost and fog are likely overnight, meteorologists do not expect it to turn especially cold, and snow is not currently predicted.

Met Office meteorologist Annie Shuttleworth detailed the three most probable scenarios for weather conditions on Christmas Day. The most likely scenario, with a 49% chance, is an anticyclonic northerly system centred over the Irish Sea. This would bring cold northerly winds across the UK and limit precipitation, keeping conditions largely dry. A second scenario, with a 12 % probability, involves an anticyclonic east-southeasterly centred over Denmark. In this case, easterly winds would dominate, carrying showers toward western areas of the UK.

The third scenario, also at 12% likelihood, is an anticyclonic southwesterly positioned over northern France. This setup would bring in southwesterly winds, leading to slightly milder temperatures compared to the other outcomes, though still under settled high-pressure conditions.

She said: "All of these show high pressure dominating the weather and most slightly colder than average, but nothing exceptionally cold.

"So there is a very low chance of any widespread white Christmas at all at this time in any of these outcomes."

According to the Met Office data, the deepest snow recorded was 47cm at Kindrogan (Perthshire) in 1981. In 1995, 221 sites reported snow, making it the Christmas with the most widespread snow cover. Wind can also be severe, with Sella Ness (Shetland) recording a gust of 88 knots (101mph) in 2011. Sunshine is possible, too, with up to 7.5 hours recorded at Penzance (Cornwall), Aberporth (Dyfed), Faversham (Kent), and Camborne (Cornwall) in various years.