Ireland can forget about a White Christmas as temperatures rise across the country.

Two years after arctic conditions brought the nation to a halt, forecasters have indicated there’s no chance of a repeat.

A fortnight after a sharp drop in temperatures prompted a flood of bets on a White Christmas, officials at the Met Eireann weather service have predicted mild conditions on Christmas Day.

No cold snaps or snow are expected in the run-up to the holiday.

Meteorologist Harm Luijkx told the Sunday Independent newspaper that there is no indication of a cold front in the coming weeks.

He said: “At the moment, there are no signs of cold weather to develop over Ireland.

“The next week or so will stay mild. Temperatures will be around normal for the time of year, with showers and bouts of rain coming in from the Atlantic.

“Up to Christmas we have no information that there’s going to be any cold weather with snow.”