A white Christmas is predicted, with snow due to fall on December 25, forecasters say.

Cold conditions in northern parts of the UK will lead to wintry showers over the weekend and frost on Monday, the Met Office said.

However, conditions will not be “picture perfect”, as the snow is unlikely to set or be widespread.

Met Office deputy chief meteorologist Helen Caughey said: “As we begin Christmas Day wintry showers initially feeding in across the north in the colder air mass would technically make it a white Christmas, as we only need to see a single flake falling.

“Elsewhere, while it is likely at first to be mostly dry there is the potential for rain approaching from the west later on.

“As this moves east, we may see rain turning to snow, at least over high ground. It’s unlikely that we will see widespread or settling snow giving any proper accumulations.

“Although technically it might be a white Christmas, don’t get your hopes up for a picture-perfect white landscape.”

The forecaster said the “colder interlude” is likely to be short lived, as milder, more unsettled Atlantic conditions return from the west later on Christmas Day.

Before that, a yellow wind warning is in place across Scotland, Northern Ireland, Northern England and the north of Wales on Thursday.

Gusts of 70-80 mph could hit, with people warned to expect travel disruption, damage to buildings and power cuts.

Ms Caughey, said: “Wind speeds will increase from the north west through Wednesday evening and overnight, so that by Thursday there is a risk of gusts of 50-60mph for a large swathe of central and northern parts of the UK.

“Coastal locations, higher ground, and areas to the east of high ground could see gusts of 70-80mph.

“Due to the scale of the low pressure to the north of the UK, it is possible this event could persist across some areas into Friday.”