Weather forecasters have officially declared it’s a White Christmas as snow has been recorded falling in parts of the UK.
Reports of snow had come in from Leconfield in Humberside and Wattisham in Suffolk as of 5am on Christmas morning.
The Met Office had said Christmas Day is likely to be clear and dry for most, but added there was potential for snow or sleet in some eastern areas.
Alex Burkill, a meteorologist at the Met Office, said yesterday: ‘Christmas Eve night into Christmas Day is going to be very cold, with harsh widespread frost first thing Christmas morning.
‘So it could be a “white” Christmas in as much as lots of people are going to wake up to a frost.
‘They’ll be very light, scattered, not everywhere will see them by any means, and for most areas it’s going to be a pretty dry day, just cold, but there is a chance we could see a few showers of snow across eastern parts of England, particularly early on Christmas Day.’
It comes following widespread flooding around the country resulting in people being rescued from vehicles and evacuated from homes after heavy rain.
A total of 111 flood warnings and 137 flood alerts, as well as the two severe flood warnings, remained in place across England at 5am on Christmas Day.
Emergency services were ‘overrun’ with calls to help a number of people caught up in floodwater, particularly in East Anglia and Gloucester.
Northamptonshire Police had to evacuate more than 1,000 people from the Billing Aquadrome holiday park after severe flooding overnight.
A ‘major incident’ was declared and police said it was an ‘exceptionally challenging situation’.
Emergency accommodation has been sourced for the residents, some of whom showed signs of hypothermia, at hotels and at least two leisure centres.
The Met Office said weather across the UK will turn increasingly unsettled through to December 27, with strong winds and heavy rain.
Storm Bella will arrive on Boxing Day, bringing further downpours and winds of up to 60 to 70mph in some places on the coast.
An amber national severe weather warning has been issued for parts of south Wales and across southern England.
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