Bookies predict a White Christmas

Odds have been slashed on a White Christmas as some forecasters predict Britain is set for its coldest winter in five years.

According to the Met Office, the last official White Christmas was in 2010 – when it recorded snow on the ground at 83 per cent of its weather stations, the highest amount ever recorded.

The Daily Mirror is today predicting 36 days of snow over the winter and says bookmakers Coral claimed they had seen a “flurry of bets” on Christmas snow, prompting them to cut the odds from 3-1 to even money.

“Punters are convinced we are set for a White Christmas this year as there has been an early gamble on snow falling on Christmas Day where the odds have tumbled following forecasts for a frosty winter,” said John Hill, from Coral.

AccuWeather forecaster Tyler Roys told the Mirror: “We’ll see full-on cold spells. Northern England faces a colder than normal period, some of which could affect southern England. And Scotland is forecast a colder than normal winter too.

“Given recent winters’ minimum temperatures of -8C to -21C, lows of that level are possible this winter.”