The chances of snow falling in the UK over the Christmas period appear slim, according to the Met Office . Whilst snow blanketed parts of the country last week, reaching as far south as London and the Home Counties, temperatures are now forecast to rise to typical late November levels and push away the risk of further wintry conditions - though this will bring heavy rainfall at times.

Yet during the recent cold spell, bookmakers slashed the odds on a White Christmas. Last week, William Hill offered 6/5 on snow falling in Aberdeen on December 25, with 6/4 available for both Glasgow and Edinburgh. Manchester was priced at 4/1, the bookmaker confirmed.

The Met Office has now released its long-range forecast, covering up to Tuesday December 23 - with no mention of snow predicted anywhere

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