Met Office weather forecast in run-up to Christmas

With the jet stream lying to the north of the UK and high pressure to the south, this weekend will be largely dry and mild - although disruptive rainfall is likely to affect parts of Scotland.

In Bradford today, temperatures have reached 11C, according to the Met Office.

Matthew Lehnert, Met Office chief meteorologist, said: "This weekend will be mild across the UK with high pressure in the south maintaining a settled theme.

"However, a slow-moving front will bring a spell of heavy rain to northwest Scotland.

"Into early next week, this weather front will move slowly south and bring some rain to the remainder of the UK.

"As the front clears south, temperatures will return to near average.

"It will remain changeable through midweek, with the best of any prolonged drier spells in the south and east."

What can we expect with the weather next week?

As we head towards the end of next week and the festive period, there is uncertainty in the forecast, the Met Office said.

However, there are indications that by the end of next week, we could see high pressure moving further south and west away from the UK, allowing north-westerly winds to develop at times.

A Met Office spokesperson said: "This would allow some short periods where colder air affects the UK, with the potential for wintry showers in northern areas.

"At this stage, there is very little sign of any widespread or severe cold and wintry weather.

"As always, these longer-range forecasts are subject to change so for the day-to-day detail, keep up-to-date with the latest forecast."