Warm and dry New Year’s Eve to give revellers perfect night for parties and fireworks

A warm and dry New Year’s Eve is to offer revellers the perfect night for parties and fireworks with temperatures expected to reach as high as 12C (54F) in some parts of Britain. 

December averages usually hover around 7C (45F) but temperatures hit double figures across the country today, reaching highs of 11C (52F).

This mild weather is expected to continue until New Year’s, with temperatures only dropping to lows of 8C (46F) in Birmingham and 9C (48F) in Bristol.  

Lakeside retail park in Thurrock on the morning of today’s Boxing Day sales as car parks are jammed full of bargain hunters

The Trafford Centre, Manchester was also mobbed by big queues this morning with locals eager to get in on a day of discounted shopping 

A spokesman for the Met Office told MailOnline that temperatures are expected to remain mild until at least after New Year’s and that in the south temperatures could reach as high as 12C on the night.

Dean Hall, a meteorologist at the Met Office, said: ‘We are seeing some relatively mild temperatures for this time of year, thanks to a period of low pressure we are experiencing at the moment.

‘There shouldn’t be any major problems for people heading outdoors on New Year’s Eve with only some cloud cover likely to affect the visibility of fireworks.’

Mr Hall mentioned that temperatures in the south are likely to be higher in some other parts of the country, with windy weather likely in the south west. 

He said: ‘As we move further into January temperatures are likely to dip a little, making for some colder weather for the rest of winter.’    

The news comes after shoppers enjoyed a surprisingly warm day of bargain hunting today, with Boxing Day temperatures well above the yearly average.   

A frosty but sunny start to the day in the Cambridgeshire Fens near Ely Cathedral on Christmas morning – as fog is expected to descend across Britain going into the New Year

Tom Southern and son Harris, six, from Cornwall who were having fun sledging at Cairngorm on Boxing Day, despite the weather being warmer than expected

The weather at Cairngorm on Boxing Day was an unseasonal 10C but there are still patches of snow remaining from earlier in the winter

Despite fears of frost, the Met Office says that temperatures will only get gradually colder as we approach late mid-January. 

Today’s mild Boxing Day comes after an equally warm and mild Christmas day. 

There was no white Christmas – to the dismay of some – and the unseasonably mild weather looks set to continue for now.

However, while the cloud will keep us warm for a little while longer, it could cause some other issues. 

Grey and foggy conditions tonight and going into Friday could potentially cause problems for drivers in central and southern England.

The sky filled with colour over the North Sea just before sunrise on Christmas day at Whitley Bay, North Tyneside

The last time we had a white Christmas was in 2010 – when 80 per cent of weather stations recorded snowfall.

Hopes for another one were raised after Storm Deirdre brought icy conditions to the north of England and much of Scotland earlier this month.

Heading into Thursday and through until Saturday, wet and windy weather is expected on the north. 

It will be large dry but often cloudy further south with fog at times.   

There was less chaos on motorways than expected during the Christmas getaway, despite 2.5million extra vehicles being on the road.

Clear weather conditions helped make trips to see family as smooth as possible, and traffic was generally good.

An RAC spokesman said: ‘Some areas have been busy around town centres today due to last-minute shopping, but it’s mostly local congestion.’  

The sun rises over the North Sea at Whitley Bay, North Tyneside on Christmas day. Clear weather conditions helped make trips to see family as smooth as possible, and traffic was generally good