'Beast from the East' to bring -10C temperatures to Britain
Never mind a white Christmas, Britain's set for a freezing Christmas, according to new weather forecasts.
According to the Mirror and the Metro, temperatures could plunge to -10C around New Year, as Russian winds carry in a 'Beast from the East', possibly bringing a winter akin to December 2010, which saw freezing temperatures and snow cause travel disruption.
Speaking to the Press Association, a Met Office statement said: "The [winter] outlook suggests the continuing risk of our weather coming in from the Atlantic, which brings unsettled conditions, during the first part of the three-month period."
The outlook for November through to January suggests "spells of wet and windy weather may be more frequent than is typical".
Temperatures are set to be milder than average until the New Year, which is predicted to bring cold snaps.
The statement said "the risk of occasional colder outbreaks increases later in the period".
In the more immediate future, the weather experts suggest gales and swathes of rain will hit next week and continue well into December.
A forecast until 8 December said: "Bands of more persistent rain may spread in from the West at times but eastern parts should see the driest interludes. It will be windy, with gales possible in places, and temperatures mainly near normal. Into the following week, there are indications of a gradual trend for heavier and more persistent spells of rain to affect eastern Britain.
"Current indications show that low pressure is likely to be located to the west of the UK, and as such the most likely scenario is for unsettled weather to continue in most places as we head into December."
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