UK and Europe weather forecast latest, December 20: Heavy showers, thunder and hailstorms sweep across the UK

	UK and Europe weather forecast latest, December 19: Snow fall to cover over the festival period in Britain
	UK and Europe weather forecast latest, December 18: Conditions turn colder with snow over northern hills for Christmas
	UK and Europe weather forecast latest, December 17: Bitterly cold air brings wintry conditions and snow to cover the UK

UK's weather forecast

The latest BBC weather forecast for the Christmas week ahead shows temperatures beginning to plunge from this weekend onwards, as well as a warning for those travelling over the festive period.

The latest BBC Weather forecast shows temperatures continuing to plunge in the run-up to Christmas Day. BBC meteorologist Matt Taylor warned that those travelling on Wednesday before Christmas Day could expect major disruption due to an area of low pressure. He added that this weekend will see heavy showers, thunder and hailstorms sweep across the UK.

Mr Taylor said: "There are flood warnings in parts of Wales and western England this morning but the good news is that the more persistent rain is on its way out. For the rest of the weekend, there will be some sunshine around, some dry weather, but it will be punctuated every now and again with rain in the form of short-lived but heavy showers."

"In the satellite imagery, the view from space, you can see the speckled nature of that weather front moving in. For the next few hours, we have some persistent rain over eastern England but that will clear by mid-morning."

UK braces for 25 inches of snow after Christmas (Image: Netweather/WX Charts)

He continued: "We have a few lighter showers pushing into some eastern areas but the showers are more frequent in the western regions today. Where you do see the showers, they could be heavy and thundery. They may even have hail mixed in."

"There will be gusty winds with those heavy showers, with winds reaching up to 50mph. Overall it will be a cooler night tonight than we have seen in the past few nights, as temperatures drop to around 3C to 4C."

"It will be another mixture of showers and sunshine again tomorrow, as temperatures continue to drop down again. As we enter Christmas week, Monday will see temperatures down again to around 5C. Once we have lost that area of low pressure, Tuesday is reasonably quiet."

"But if you do have Christmas travel plans on Wednesday keep an eye on the forecast. There is a potential for quite a nasty area of low pressure that could cause travel disruption."

"On Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, it will feel colder, there will be crisp, frosty mornings, a little bit of sunshine, but I can't promise any snow."

UK braces for snow and cold weather this month (Image: Netweather)

On Friday, Britain was swamped with flood warnings after four inches of rain and 60mph winds hit the country. The Met Office issued an amber 'be prepared' rain warning for South Wales after a major river burst its banks.

The River Towy bursts its banks in Carmarthenshire as Wales bore the brunt of the severe weather. Experts warned that "fast flowing or deep floodwater is likely, causing danger to life" and communities could be cut off.

On December 20

According to Weather Online, a day of sunny spells and scattered and again blustery showers on Sunday although the winds not quite as strong. The showers are most likely in western and southern areas. Central and eastern parts are drier with the best of the sunny spells here. Temperatures around or just above average with max temperatures from 7 to 10C.

Photo: Weather Online

Europe's weather forecast

A band of rain will push southeastwards across Portugal and Spain, heavy at times. Showers continuing across the Balearics. Showers or even longer spells of rain affecting Corsica and Sardinia as well as coastal areas of Siciliy. Largely dry across Italy. Plenty of sunshine again for Greece and Turkey.

A band of rain will push southeastwards across France with showers pushing in behind the rain. Drier ahead of the rain although patchy rain will affect south France. The Low Countries will see a breezy day again with some patchy, mainly light, rain pushing through. Germany will remain dry. Dry too across eastern Europe. Dry still across Austria and Switzerland as well as down the Balkan States.

Breezy still across Denmark with cloud thickening and some patchy rain arriving in the west later. Staying dry and fine across the Baltic States. Largely dry across Finland and Sweden although some rain will affect northern areas here. Rain and high coastal winds for southwest Norway as well as the far north.

Photo: Stirimeteo

Photo: Stirimeteo

On December 20

According to Weather Online, improving conditions from the west across Portugal and Spain. Heavy showers aross the Balearic Islands. Continuing with the showers and or longer spells of rain for Corsica and Sardinia as well as Siciliy. Mainland Italy looks to be mostly dry but with a few scattered showers about in places. Cloud thickening across western Greece but mainly dry here. Dry too for Turkey.

A wet start for eastern France but the rain should gradually become coonfined to the far east by the end of the day. Drier elsewhere but with a few scattered showers about. Largely dry across the Low Countries although there could be some light rain along the coasts here. Patchy rain pushes eastwards across Germany. Settled across eastern Europe. Largely dry across the Alpine countries although there is the risk of some rain for western Austria. Mostly dry down the Balkan States.

Photo: Weather Online

Rain will clear eastern areas of Finland first thing to allow for a largely dry day here. Mostly dry too for Sweden. Rain affecting northern and western areas of Norway with strong to glae force winds potentially along the coasts. Largely dry and mild across the Baltic States although some patchy rain could move into western areas later on. A breezy day but largely dry over Denmark but with some light rain to the far north and far west.

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