What is the warmest Christmas Day in the UK?

The warmest Christmas Day in the UK on record was 15.6°C (60.1°F), recorded at Killerton, Devon, in 1920. Other recent warm Christmases have seen temperatures around 15.1°C (2011, 2016) and even 16°C (2015 in Teignmouth, Devon), making the early 20th century record still stand, though modern Christmases are often warmer than historical averages due to climate change.

What is the warmest Christmas on record in the UK?

Christmas Day is often the focus of festive weather hopes, and it has delivered a wide range of conditions. The warmest Christmas Day on record was 15.6°C at Killerton (Devon) in 1920, with more recent warmth including 15.2°C at Hawarden (Clwyd) in 2015.

What is the warmest Christmas on record?

ummary — Christmas Day 2025 was by far the warmest Christmas Day for the contiguous United States on record. He calculated the average national high temperature (shown above) as 57.9F and the average national low temperature as 36.6F.

Has there ever been a heatwave in December in the UK?

However, the record December temperature of 18.3C was recorded as far north as Achnashellach (Wester Ross, Scotland) on the 2nd December 1948, as a result of an unusually warm southerly airmass and was due to the foehn effect.

Where is it hot enough to sunbathe in December?

The topmost places for hot holidays in December for sun with temperatures in the 20s include Miami (25°C), Cape Verde (24°C), Dubai (26°C), Barbados (29°C), Madeira (20°C), Phuket (28°C), Cape Town (27°C), Mexico (24°C), Cuba (24°C), Marrakech (20°C), and the Canary Islands (22°C).

10 day trend – Will it be a warm or a white Christmas?

Where to holiday at Christmas for sun?

More winter sun help and FAQs

Where is hot for a winter holiday? If you're looking for hot destinations for a winter holiday, consider Dubai, Thailand, Mexico, or South Africa. These places enjoy warm temperatures, sunny skies, and beautiful beaches—perfect for escaping the cold.

Where is the closest place to the UK that's hot in December?

Gran Canaria, Canary Islands

Gran Canaria offers a sunny retreat from the UK's winter chill. The island is known for its beaches, scenic hiking trails and mild winter temperatures.

How long did the 1976 heatwave last in the UK?

The 1976 heatwave lasted 6 weeks, that is for 6 weeks there was somewhere in the uk every day that was over 28°. Check with met office records.

Are UK winters getting warmer or colder?

UK winters are generally getting warmer and wetter, with average temperatures rising and cold extremes becoming less frequent, but severe cold snaps can still occur due to shifts in atmospheric patterns. Data shows a consistent warming trend since the 1980s, with many of the UK's warmest winters on record happening in the 21st century, and precipitation increasingly falling as rain rather than snow. 

Which winter was worse, 1947 or 1963?

The winter of 1963 - the coldest for more than 200 years

With temperatures so cold the sea froze in places, 1963 is one of the coldest winters on record. Bringing blizzards, snow drifts, blocks of ice, and temperatures lower than -20 °C, it was colder than the winter of 1947, and the coldest since 1740.

When was the last snowy Christmas in the UK?

The last truly widespread white Christmas across the UK was in 2010, when snow fell at 19% of weather stations and lay on the ground at a record 83% of stations; however, more recently, snow has fallen somewhere in the UK on Christmas Day in 2020 (though not widespread) and was reported at some stations in 2023, but 2024 saw no snow anywhere, making 2010 the benchmark for a "proper" snowy Christmas.
 

What was the worst British winter on record?

The Big Freeze of 1963—also known as the Winter of 1962–63—was one of the coldest winters on record in the United Kingdom and much of Europe. It lasted from December 1962 to March 1963, and it brought widespread disruption, hardship, and historic levels of snow and ice.

What was the coldest Christmas Day ever?

It was likely one of those days to <-40 wind chills. Although 1872 had the coldest Christmas Eve (though we didn't have the wind like 1864....it was clear, starry & calm that night allowing the temperature to drop to -27), it was 1983 that holds the title for the coldest Christmas Day.

Has 2025 been a good summer?

Met Office climate scientists have confirmed that Summer 2025 is officially the warmest Summer on record, with the mean temperature from June 1st to August 1st calculated at 16.10°C, which stands at 1.51°C above the meteorological average.

What year was the longest heatwave in the UK?

A heatwave lasts a minimum of three consecutive days, though it can be much longer. The longest official heatwave in the UK was in 1976 when the heatwave threshold was met for 15 consecutive days. A heatwave can feel much longer because it usually comes within a period of dry and hot weather.

What was the worst heat wave in history?

July 1743 heatwave in China - Beijing reached 44.4 °C (111.9 °F) on July 25, higher than any modern records. 11,400 people reportedly died.

Could the Big Freeze of 1963 happen again?

The 1963 winter event has thus been a very rare event with a return period of 119 years in 1963 (95 % confidence interval from 46 to 1102 years) and would be even less likely today due to the warming (371 years in 2021, with uncertainty of 97 up to 7680 years).

When was the last time it snowed in November in the UK?

The winter of 2010 saw the UK's earliest widespread winter snowfall since 1993 with snow falling as early as 24 November across NE England.

How many times has it snowed on Christmas Day in the last 50 years?

A white Christmas officially is one snow flake recored but its been a few years since we seen a widespread snow ❄️ Some fun facts (provided by Google) Rare Widespread Snow: Widespread snow on the ground has only been recorded on four Christmas Days since 1960 (in 1981, 1995, 2009, and 2010.

Where do Brits go to escape winter?

The Canary Islands remain the number one pick, followed by Cyprus, Malta, the Algarve, and southern Spain. Each offers its own blend of sunshine, culture, and affordability, making it easier than ever to swap grey skies for blue.