THIS New Year's weekend is officially the mildest on record – but Brits better make the most of it as an Arctic blast could sweep in from NEXT week.
There will be warm air sweeping in from the mid-Atlantic, replacing the cooler northerly winds which are typical for this time of year, say forecasters.
Friday saw temperatures reaching 15.8C in Merryfield in Somerset and Nantwich in Cheshire, which beat the previous record of 14.8C.
However, it may be too soon to put away the winter jackets as freezing temperatures and snow are due to return in January, as a 'SNOWBOMB' will hit Britain from as early as next MONDAY, January 3, 2022.
Read our weather live blog for the latest news and forecasts
- Joseph Gamp
Odds SLASHED on January being coldest EVER
THIS MONTH LOOKS SET to go down as the coldest on record, according to Ladbrokes.
Having been a 5/2 shot at the back end of last year, the bookies now make it just 2/1 for January to break records as the coldest EVER.
Alex Apati of Ladbrokes said: “There’s an increasing chance we’ll be wrapping up and strapping in for a record-breaking cold January, as far as the latest odds are concerned.”
- Joseph Gamp
Weather outlook for today
Sunny spells for most areas with much of eastern, southern and central UK dry for much of the time.
More unsettled, and windier, in the northwest where some showers and also coastal gales, especially northwest Scotland.
Exceptionally mild again.
- Joseph Gamp
New Year's Day could break temperature record with highs of 15C
Temperatures on New Year's Day could break records as Britain is set to see highs of 15C (59F).
The new year will get off to a warm start following on from a mild December and a record-breaking New Year's Eve.
Friday saw temperatures reaching 15.8C in Merryfield in Somerset and Nantwich in Cheshire, which beat the previous record of 14.8C.
Forecasters at the Met Office said temperatures may reach record highs on New Year's Day.
The previous record temperature on New Year's Day stands at 15.6C.
The Met Office is expecting highs of 14C or 15C.
- Joseph Gamp
A chilling start to the New Year
Those living in Manchester, Wales and the Midlands will also see snow.
And on January 14, northern Scotland will be carpeted in a whopping 11ins by 6am, while 4cm is predicted in Manchester, Edinburgh and Cumbria.
London and the south-east currently look likely to miss out altogether.
The winter will make it’s bone-chilling return after one of the dreariest Decembers ever, with less than 27 hours of sunshine across the past 30 days.
That’s 38 per cent less than the national average for this time of year.
- Joseph Gamp
Overnight temperatures
The Met Office tweeted: "It is a very #mild start to 2022, with 14.9°C reported at Chivenor as the clock struck midnight.
"Here are the latest temperatures across at the UK."
- Joseph Gamp
Weather outlook for Sunday to Tuesday
Windy with rain for the north, Sunday.
Elsewhere, sunshine and showers, potentially squally for some parts of England and Wales.
Turning colder through Monday and Tuesday, with snow for some.
- Milica Cosic
Temperatures soar as ice rinks melt
BRITS are enjoying their warmest New Year’s Eve EVER after temperatures soared past their previous record on Friday morning.
The mercury swelled to 14.9C in Ryehill, East Yorkshire at 11am – toppling the 14.8C record logged in Colwyn Bay, Wales, back in 2011.
Things got so warm at Hampton Court Palace, London, its ice rink began to MELT.
- Milica Cosic
UK weather outlook for Saturday and Sunday
It will be a brighter day on Saturday with spells of sunshine and variable mounts of cloud cover.
There will be showers in the north and west.
A cloudy start on Sunday with outbreaks of rain clearing to reveal spells of sunshine, patchy cloud cover and a chance of showers, mostly in the west.
- Milica Cosic
Flash floods hit the country
Swathes of the country wade in floodwater after a week of heavy rain.
The Environment Agency has issued dozens of flood alerts for England and Wales.
It means flooding is "possible" in 29 places and Brits should be ready for the aftermath of heavy downpours.
Issuing a five day flood forecast, the Environment Agency said: "Local flooding from rivers is possible in parts of Wales and the north of England today (Friday) due to recent heavy rain.
"Local flooding is possible on Sunday and Monday along coastal areas of Yorkshire and the north east of England and more widely along parts of the east coast on Tuesday.
"Land, roads and some properties may flood and there may be travel disruption."
- Milica Cosic
Weather for 11th to 25th of January
There is the potential for a short-lived settled spell to start this period, which would mean cooler and drier weather but also an increased risk of overnight fog and frost.
Later in the month, milder but more unsettled weather is expected to return, with the associated hazards of strong winds and heavy rain.
- Milica Cosic
25 more days of snow to come
Leon Brown, head of meteorological operations at The Weather Company’s Weather Channel arm, said there could be 25 more days of snow to come.
“Northern England and Scotland are forecast 20 to 25 more days with snow and ice disruption this winter, with 10 to 15 more days with impacts in the south," he said.
“Later in January has potential for cold conditions, with a longer cold spell possible in February, and -12C is likely."
- Milica Cosic
It will get colder from Monday, says Met Office
Met Office forecaster Craig Snell has warned: “We are keeping a close eye on the New Year’s Eve weather, because that record (14.8C) is quite under threat.
“But it looks like the transition (to cooler weather) will be on Bank Holiday morning.”
The Met Office states wintry showers are expected across Scotland from Monday, January 3 but adds: “Later Monday it is expected to become colder with an increased likelihood of wintry showers at lower levels.”
- Milica Cosic
Britain's dullest December
Met Office forecaster Craig Snell said Britain's dullest December was in 1956, when just 19.5 hours of sunlight was the national average.
"One of the reasons we're getting the dull weather is the fact that it's been so mild," he said.
"We're drawing in south-westerly wind from the Atlantic and it's also drawing in a lot of moisture. It keeps us warm but it also produces a lot of cloud."
The bizarre heat this week comes courtesy of a 'tropical plume' from North Africa – with one meteorologist joking: "It's time for people to put on t-shirts and flip-flops".
- Milica Cosic
‘Snowbomb’ to blast Britain
A 'SNOWBOMB' will hit Britain in January – with a whopping 11ins set to fall as a new Atlantic storm moves in.
Winter will bite back in the weeks to come after what's likely to be the warmest New Year's Eve on record today.
As we near the middle of January, it'll snow heavily again – with more than 10ins predicted in the north.
Newcastle and Northumberland are likely to face white-out by midnight on January 12, WX Charts predicts.
Parts of Scotland – particularly in the Highlands – will also face up to five inches as the mercury plunges below zero.
- Milica Cosic
How to tell if your symptoms are Omicron or flu?
As coronavirus cases continue to spread, with the Omicron variant now standing its ground, it's likely you're on high alert for the slightest cough or sniffle.
A string of hugely positive studies show Omicron IS milder than other strains, with the first official UK report revealing the risk of hospitalisation is 50 to 70 per cent lower than with Delta.
Covid booster jabs protect against Omicron and offer the best chance to get through the pandemic, health officials have repeatedly said.
Regardless of your symptoms, it may be best to get a Covid test just to check and Health Secretary Sajid Javid has urged Brits to take a lateral flow test before going out and meeting with friends.
If it is positive, there are strict self-isolation rules. But if it is negative, experts say if you are unwell, it’s best to stay away from people to prevent spreading bugs, anyway.
- Milica Cosic
UK weather outlook Sunday and Monday
It will be a mixed day on Sunday with some bright or sunny spells however there will be variable amounts of cloud and outbreaks of rain too.
Mostly dry and sunny in the south on Monday however there will be more cloud in the north and spells of rain across northern and western areas, heavy at times
- Milica Cosic
The Met Office on the warm temperatures
Met Office Chief Meteorologist Neil Armstrong said: “The position of the jet stream and a low-pressure system to the west of Ireland mean that a large amount of unusually warm air will be pulled up over the UK.
“While this means a very mild start to the New Year for most in the UK it will soon be replaced by more ‘normal’ January conditions.
“These warm spells in winter are consistent with what we would expect with climate change, and while cold snaps cannot be ruled out, we would expect above-average temperatures like this to become a more frequent occurrence as the global climate warms.”
- Milica Cosic
Double figured temperatures over the weekend
Temperatures are expected to stay in double figures over the coming weekend, so your New Years celebrations could be a good one.
The warm south-westerly winds from the Azores have arrived in the UK, replacing the cooler northerly winds which are typical for this time of year.
However, after this warm balmy weekend, the mercury will soon drop and more snow will be on the way.
Met Office forecaster Craig Snell has warned: "We are keeping a close eye on the New Year's Eve weather, because that record (14.8C) is quite under threat.
"But it looks like the transition (to cooler weather) will be on Bank Holiday morning."
The Met Office states wintry showers are expected across Scotland from Monday, January 3 but adds: "Later Monday it is expected to become colder with an increased likelihood of wintry showers at lower levels."
- Milica Cosic
What to do if you find yourself aquaplaning
Aquaplaning – skidding on water – occurs when a wedge of water forms in front of the tyre and lifts it up off the road surface.
If you feel your car losing grip with the road, gently ease off the accelerator but don’t brake.
Have a firm grip of the steering wheel and be sure not to make any sudden steering actions.
The car will eventually regain its grip as water clears from the road.
- Milica Cosic
Staying warm tonight
If you’re continuing your New Year’s tonight, you’ll want to wrap up warm as you will have a long night ahead of you.
Here are some good tips for staying warm:
- Prewarm your clothes.
- Invest in some quality thermals.
- Fleece leggings.
- Hand warmers.
- Cover every inch of skin.
- Eat fatty foods.
- Thermal flask.
- Keep moving.
- Keep hydrated.
- Keep your head covered.
- Tactical scarf-wearing – including keeping your nose and mouth covered
- Milica Cosic
Wintry showers for January
Weather graphics from WX Charts reveal snow could head south from January 10.
There are also wintry showers currently predicted in West Wales, the North West, and London.
- Milica Cosic
Britain marks warmest New Year's Eve on record
The Met Office has confirmed that the UK has seen its warmest New Year's Eve on record with temperatures already reaching 14.9C (58.82F).
Colwyn Bay in Wales held the previous record of 14.8C (58.64F) in 2011 but the record was toppled at 11am on Friday in Ryehill, East Yorkshire.
The Met Office said temperatures will continue to rise across the country later in the day before falling slightly at night as Britain rings in 2022.
- Joseph Gamp
NYD will start off mild says Met Office
The Met Office says NYD will be very much the same as today, with a milder climate continuing.
It tweeted: "New Year's Day will start very mild with some rain across the north and west.
"The best of the brightness will be towards the east of England."
- Joseph Gamp
Breezy NYD in London
Breezy New Year's Day, with sunny spells.
Cloud thickening though the afternoon, with brief rain spreading east, heavy at times, and perhaps persisting across Kent into the evening.
Very mild. Maximum temperature 15 °C.
- Joseph Gamp
Chiller Thriller
Elsewhere, those living in Manchester, Wales and the Midlands will also see snow.
And on January 14, northern Scotland will be carpeted in a whopping 11ins by 6am, while 4cm is predicted in Manchester, Edinburgh and Cumbria.
London and the South East currently look likely to miss out altogether.
The winter will make it's bone-chilling return after one of the dreariest Decembers ever, with less than 27 hours of sunshine across the past 30 days.
That's 38 per cent less than the national average for this time of year.
Met Office forecaster Craig Snell said Britain's dullest December was in 1956, when just 19.5 hours of sunlight was the national average.
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