Will warm weather last until Christmas?

Temperatures in parts of Britain have been feeling particularly spring-like for a couple of days - and weather experts suggest this could last into next week.

The milder conditions are reportedly partly due to colder conditions in America and Canada strengthening the jet stream, causing temperatures to hit 16.3C at Achnagart in the Scottish Highlands on Wednesday morning - not far off the record December temperature of 18.3C, which was also recorded in the Scottish highlands in 1948.

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So will we be roasting chestnuts around a crackling open fire, or will it be more like Christmas a la Australia with a barbecue in the garden?

Speaking to the Mirror, Simon Keeling, of WeatherOnline, said probably not. He explained: "Hints are that as we head into the early to middle stages of next week higher pressure may start to build back from the east bringing some drier conditions and cooler temperatures."

And Leon Brown, meteorologist at The Weather Channel, said we shouldn't give up hope of a white Christmas.

He told Aol Travel: "As we head through December it does look like we will see a temporary change with a stronger jet stream and lower pressure from the Atlantic. This will bring windier and wetter spells of weather and few if any frosts during the second week of the month. Temperatures will lift a few degrees above normal for a while.

"Through the third week and run up to Christmas the jet stream will begin to move southwards again resulting in a more west to northwesterly type pattern from the northern Atlantic which may bring incursions of Arctic air to the north and snowfalls returning to the Scottish Mountains and Pennines.

"There is the potential for one of the Atlantic depressions to become the second named storm of the year, Barbara, in this period before Christmas.

"It is still a way off yet, but during the Christmas week we expect the westerly pattern to become weaker with the jet stream meandering south and higher pressure building to the north and east. This quieter spell will bring frosts and colder weather, with a greater risk of below normal temperatures at the end of December and New Year."

It looks like we'll need to head Down Under if we want a Christmas barbecue after all...