The forecaster said 25 December will be damp and windy but especially mild, with highs of 13C or 14C.

The hottest Christmas Day on record was 15.6C in 1920, so there is a "small chance" of that record being broken, the Met Office added.

Meteorologist Liam Eslick said there may be snow on mountains in Scotland, but it is "not looking likely that there will be a white Christmas in England".

He added: "It's looking like a damp picture across the UK, heavy rain possibly in Wales. Past Christmas lunch there could be some breaks if people are looking to go out and about.

"Boxing Day is probably going to be the best day if people are looking to go for a walk."

UK weather: The latest Sky News forecast

Meanwhile Christmas Eve travel plans could be ruined with heavy winds set to batter parts of the country.

Gusts as high as 70mph are due to hit the north of Scotland and northern and central areas of England.

Two separate yellow wind warnings have been issued, with people warned to expect travel disruption, damage to buildings and power cuts, while the rest of the country may see showers.

Mr Eslick said: "People should make sure to leave more time, especially in exposed areas, [as the weather] could affect rail networks and ferries.

"People travelling on roads should take care and stay away from high-sided vehicles and, for people who are at home and are going for walks, stay away from coasts."

A yellow warning for rain is in force covering much of Wales and will last until 6pm on Christmas Eve.

Between 20mm to 40mm of rain is expected widely and 60mm to 80mm on higher ground.

Another yellow rain warning is in force for western Scotland until 11.45pm on Saturday, with 20mm to 55mm of rain expected widely and 80mm to 100mm on higher ground.

A snow and ice warning was in place for north and east Scotland until 3pm on Saturday.

Read more:
'Last-minute getaway trips' face disruption due to wet and windy conditions

The advice comes as millions of drivers are expected to get behind the wheel this weekend for Christmas journeys.

On Saturday, P&O Ferries apologised for delays at the Port of Dover in Kent which saw 90-minute wait times at border control.

The port attributed delays to a surge in demand for ferries after the Channel Tunnel rail link was closed on Thursday due to unscheduled industrial action by French workers.

Rail disruption is also likely on Christmas Eve as two of London's railway stations, King's Cross and Paddington, will be shut due to engineering works.

The closure of London Paddington will continue until Wednesday, meaning no mainline trains will serve Heathrow Airport.

Motorists have been advised by the RAC to travel before 11am or after 6pm if possible to reduce the chance of being stuck in long queues.

Eurostar, which operates passenger rail services to and from London St Pancras, is operating two extra trains per day between London and Paris including on Christmas Eve to help people whose trains were cancelled on Thursday.

Vehicle-carrying train service Le Shuttle is running its usual timetable but is only accepting customers who have pre-booked.