Dreaming of a White Christmas? Bookies have slashed the odds of snow on December 25

Bookmakers have cut the odds of snow on Christmas Day, with the UK hoping for its first widespread White Christmas since 2010.

But those dreaming of snow on the big day will have to endure some freezing temperatures before autumn ends — with this week set to be the chilliest of the season so far.

Ladbrokes now make it 4/5 that snow falls on Christmas Day, with Aberdeen the favoured city with odds of 7/4. There is a 5/1 chance in London.

Last night, temperatures dropped as low as minus 3C in part of Scotland, in what was the coldest night of the year.

Met Office forecaster Marco Petagna said it will be less cold over the next few days, but would turn chilly again with frost expected in some places from Friday night onwards.

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Mr Petagna said it was too early to tell whether or not a white Christmas was on the cards, but bookies said they have taken a flurry of bets.

Coral’s John Hill said: “We’ve taken an avalanche of bets on this year being a white Christmas as punters are convinced that everybody’s dream will become a reality with snowfall in mainland UK on Christmas Day.

“We’ve not seen a gamble this early on there being a white Christmas for many years, therefore we’ll be keeping our fingers crossed that temperatures don’t continue falling over the next six weeks otherwise it won’t just be Santa handing out presents this Christmas.”

Jessica Bridge of Ladbrokes said: “The odds are falling as quick as the mercury, and it looks like the bitter weather is here to stay.”

The last widespread white Christmas in the UK was in 2010, while 2015 was technically also a White Christmas — but with only 10 per cent of Met weather stations recording snow fall.

The definition that the Met Office uses to define a white Christmas is for one snowflake to be observed falling in the 24 hours of 25 December somewhere in the UK.