UK climate: Leave the umbrella at house! Boxing Day can be dry and delicate and excellent for a post-Christmas stroll, Met Office says

Anyone looking to walk off yesterday’s stuffed Turkey can probably expect to keep dry while doing so as mild weather is predicted for much of the country.

Boxing Day temperatures are set to reach a high of 12C in the south-west of England, and 11C in Wales, the Met Office said.

Cloudy conditions are likely in southern parts, but it will be brighter across northern areas where temperatures will be cooler.

Though, rain will affect central and southern Scotland and parts of Northern Ireland.

Met Office meteorologist Tom Morgan said: ‘It’s another cloudy and mild day, with a few glimmers of brightness, particularly in north-east England and the Midlands.

‘Some places in northern Scotland like the Shetland Isles should see some sunshine.’

Boxing Day is a popular choice for outdoor swimmers hoping to enjoy a festive dip.

The brightest weather is forecast in north-east England, Scotland and parts of North Wales, where the wind will help to break the cloud up.

Boxing Day temperatures are set to reach a high of 12C in the south-west of England, and 11C in Wales, the Met Office said

Met Office meteorologist Tom Morgan said: ‘It’s another cloudy and mild day, with a few glimmers of brightness, particularly in north-east England and the Midlands

Patchy drizzle may cause a ‘nuisance’ for those hoping to get out and enjoy the outdoors, Met Office meteorologist Simon Partridge said.

He added: ‘For Boxing Day, it’s another pretty grey day.

‘There’s lots of low cloud with a bit of mist and murkiness around, still a little bit of fog in a few spots, mainly in the west.

‘The cloud is thick enough in places that, again, we’ve got bits and pieces of sort of patchy, light, drizzly stuff, not really rain as such, but more a nuisance than anything else – particularly if you want to get out and about for for a bit of a walk, it is a bit damp.

‘So all in all, another generally dry day, although there will be some bits of drizzle around, but rather grey and mild day for Boxing Day.’

The showers are expected to move north into Scotland and Northern Ireland with largely dry conditions elsewhere.

For outdoor swimmers planning a Boxing Day dip, the mild weather will be welcome news, with temperatures of around 10C to 12C forecast in most of the country.

‘It’s at least quite mild, and when you get out of the sea, it won’t be as cold as it has been on many Boxing Day swims in the past,’ Mr Partridge added.

Mr Partridge said: ‘All in all, another generally dry day, although there will be some bits of drizzle around, but rather grey and mild day for Boxing Day (file image)

Although it is ‘very mild for the time of year’, 2024’s Boxing Day temperatures are not expected to exceed those of 2011, which became the warmest December 26 on record when 16.1C was measured in Banff, Scotland.

On Christmas Day, bathers across the country took advantage of the milder temperatures to take the plunge.

The mildest start to a Christmas Day on record was recorded for Northern Ireland and Scotland.

In Kinloss, Moray, temperatures reached 11.9C, while at Killowen, Co Down, it peaked at 11C for the 24-hour period ending at 9am, the Met Office said.

A mild, mostly cloudy day is also expected on Friday before the weather turns brighter, but colder with blustery showers into the weekend.

Conditions on Friday are expected to be ‘very similar’ to Boxing Day, with temperatures of around 10C to 13C accompanied by cloud and patchy drizzle across Wales and south-west England, he continued.

Over the weekend, conditions in Scotland will be ‘a little bit winder and a little bit wetter’, with cloud and showers predicted elsewhere.