The last white Christmas recorded in East Anglia was in 2010, according to Weatherquest, so what are the chances of seeing some snow on Christmas Day 2017?

Well, it appears incredibly unlikely. In fact, it’s more likely to be a windy Christmas than a white one, with forecasters warning of blustery conditions and rain across the region.

Low-pressure conditions are likely to dominate from around Christmas Eve onwards which means spells of rain, sometimes heavy, and strong winds between Christmas and New Year.

The Suffolk coast could be hit with gusts of up to 45mph on Christmas Day, according to Weatherquest forecaster Phil Garner.

But daytime temperatures are set to remain above 11C (51.8F) and not fall below 6C (42.8F) overnight, until Boxing Day when they could take a slight dip.

The last white Christmas recorded in East Anglia was 2010, Mr Garner said. “If we had the snow from a couple of weeks ago it could have been a different story,” he said.

Forecast from Phil Garner at Weatherquest:

Saturday (December 23)

Temperatures:

Max: 11C

Low: 6C

Outlook: It will be a fine day for forgetting about the Christmas shopping for another year. Patchy mist in the morning will clear for bright spells. With a light westerly wind, it will feel very mild.

Christmas Eve

Max: 11C

Low: 8C

Outlook: I think it will be noticeably a little breezier, with 12-18mph wind speeds. I don’t think it will be cooler. There will be a fair amount of cloud coming from the west. There will be a little chance of sunny spells.

Christmas Day

Max: 11C

Low: 7C

Outlook: It will be fresher, and winds will strengthen throughout the day. Gusts could be as high as 45mph along the coast by the evening. It could be 35-40mph in Ipswich and west Suffolk. During the day, rain will be edging in from the south west, and the whole county (Suffolk) will have rain by the evening. It will move through overnight.

Boxing Day

Max: 7/8C

Low: 3/4C

Outlook: It will be clear in the morning, but during the day gusts could be as strong as 35mph, and the rain will be turning up again in the afternoon. It’s going to be a green Christmas rather than a white one.

According to new research from the Met Office, 1.56 million drivers have suffered at least one accident in the last five years due to winter road conditions, with motorists forking out an average of £1,362 in damages per incident.

A Highways England spokesman said: “Drivers will typically slow down in snow, ice or fog but when it rains, many consider it to be normal so they don’t adapt their driving habits.

“Despite this perception, rain is a serious threat, making it harder for tyres to grip the road and harder for drivers to see ahead - factors that significantly increase the chances of a collision.”