Santa Claus can leave the de-icer at home – Ireland’s hopes of a White Christmas have been officially dashed.

Forecasters have poured cold water on any chance of a snowfall on Sunday, literally.

A year after blizzard conditions greeted Father Christmas on his annual journey around the country, rain is instead on the cards for Christmas day.

Temperatures will also be unusually warm for the time of year according to experts at the government’s Met Eireann service.

___________

Read More:

White Christmas is off the cards for Ireland as temperatures rise

‘Fairytale of New York’ a Christmas song that works all year round

Top Christmas movies of our time - SEE VIDEOS
___________

They say a high of 11 degrees Celsius is possible on Christmas Day with mild weather to continue into next week.

“Conditions on Christmas night are good for Santa,” said one weather report. “He can expect some wind around Ireland with rain and drizzle developing as he travels through the country.”

There is no chance of frost on ice on Christmas Day though it is expected to be cold on Thursday night when temperatures could hit freezing point in the East of the country.

Forecasters say Christmas Day and St. Stephen’s Day will be mild, windy and fairly cloudy days with some rain and drizzle at times, with some heavy rain in places, mainly in the west and north.

The current mild conditions are expected to prevail until at least the middle of next week.