Get ready for chilly weather over the holidays
Full detailed forecasts have now been confirmed for Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and Boxing Day in Kent this winter and it is looking to be a particularly cold holiday season. Following on from an extended period of unsettled weather in the south east, with heavy rains, blustery winds and even some flooding around the county, conditions are expected to be a little more consistent around the big day.
According to the latest Met Office predictions, Christmas Eve (Wednesday, December 24) will be on the breezy side but sunny throughout. Temperatures will feel rather chilly, hitting just 6C at their peak, though for the most part sitting between 3C and 5C across the majority of the county.
It will be dry however, with no rainfall putting a damper on the festivities in Kent the entire day. Similar patterns are then anticipated on Christmas Day itself when the forecast is dominated by more clear skies and low temperatures.
Following a cloudier start to the day, any gloom will then break for plenty of sunny spells as we tuck into our festive lunches and open the presents under the tree. Be prepared for an even colder day as the mercury will only rise as high as 5C in Kent during the afternoon.
By 6pm these temperatures will have sunk to near freezing levels, with the likes of Tunbridge Wells and Tenterden to feel lows of 1C at this time. Once again, there is no rainfall expected at all throughout the day, and those hoping for a white Christmas will be disappointed as no snow flurries are forecast in the south east at all this week.
It will grow rather blustery as winds reach near 50mph in areas such as Thanet, Canterbury and Dover. These gusts will add a real bite to the low temperatures anticipated throughout Christmas Day, making it feel even colder.
Taking a closer look at the Christmas Day forecast, Met Office meteorologist Alex Deakin said: “Generally dry and a mixture of cloud and some sunny spells […] I’m hopeful that some places will have blue skies for your Christmas Day walk.
“If you’re going for a Christmas Day swim however, particularly along the south coast of England or the east coast, well be prepared for it to feel cold with that brisk wind which continues to strengthen. So quite a blustery, gusty day across the south, especially the south coast.
“Look at the temperatures, on the thermometer will read 5C, 6C maybe 7C but that wind will make it feel, particularly in the south, close to if not below freezing. So quite a significant wind chill blowing along the south coast especially but feeling pretty raw on most of those North Sea coasts too.”
Turning to Boxing Day, the Met Office expects the breeze to end but the cold snap to continue with daytime peaks once more sitting at just 6C. Conditions will remain dry on Friday and across the weekend as no rain is predicted over Kent for the remainder of the week.
Confidence in the forecast for New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day is lower at this time, though early predictions hint that we could see some light showers arriving next week. The Met Office long range forecast for Saturday, December 27 to Monday, January 5 describes: “High pressure is likely to dominate across the UK at the start of this period and through to the end of the year.
“This means that weather conditions will be largely settled and for many places it will remain dry. It may often be rather cloudy, but any rainfall that does develop is expected to be light with overall accumulations small. Winds will mostly be light with temperatures close to or slightly below normal.
“Into 2026, little change is anticipated through the first week of January, with settled and mainly dry conditions continuing for many parts of the UK. However, there is a small chance that more unsettled, wetter and milder weather could develop at times, particularly in the north.”
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