London weather: Bookmakers slash odds on a White Christmas as temperatures set to plummet

Londoners could experience a white Christmas this year
REX Shutterstock
Laura Proto19 October 2015

Britain could be on track for a white Christmas as temperatures are set to plummet to as low as -16C.

Bookmakers have slashed the odds on snow falling on Christmas Day, with Ladbrokes placing London at 7/1. Further north, the odds are as low as 5/2 in Aberdeen and 3/1 in Edinburgh.

But weather experts have said the cold spell could include five days of snow or ice in London, which could cause travel chaos during festive period and grind the transport network to a halt.

Tyler Roys, meteorologist at AccuWeather, said: “We'll see full-on cold spells.

“Northern England faces colder-than-normal periods, some of which could affect southern England, and Scotland is forecast a colder than normal winter.

Snow hits London

1/8

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

Scientists believe the melting of the Greenland ice sheet is slowing the Gulf Stream, which is causing cold temperatures to hit the UK.

If temperatures dip to – 16C, it will be the coldest temperature Britain has endured since in big freeze in December 2010 when temperatures fell to -21C.

The Met Office is yet to issue a forecast for the winter months, but the end of October is likely to bring a settled colder spell for much of Greater London.

Temperatures are expected to be below average and early November is predicted to bring wet and windy conditions with a risk of gales.

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