The prospects of a white Christmas have diminished, according to the Met Office.

Despite fierce winds and heavy rainfall this week, temperatures have remained above seasonal averages. The thermometer climbed past 14C in both Teddington, southwest London, and Chelmsford, Essex on Monday, staying mild even as Storm Bram battered the country on Tuesday.

Forecasters now predict this milder pattern will persist throughout December, meaning substantial snowfall is unlikely in the near future. This latest assessment contradicts the Met Office 's outlook from last week, when the probability of a white Christmas - defined as a single snowflake falling anywhere across the UK on 25 December - had shortened dramatically.

In a video released on Tuesday via the Met Office's YouTube channel, meteoro

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