A Christmas Day washout is in store for many with rain and wind to lash the UK.

Some parts of the country will be exposed to “persistent rain” as families tuck into their Christmas dinner on Sunday afternoon, before possible thunderstorms and hail on Boxing Day.

However, those in the Scottish Highlands can expect a white Christmas, with as much as 10cm (four inches) of snow expected to fall.

A Met Office yellow warning is in place for most of the Scottish Highlands, as well as some lowland areas, from 9pm on Christmas Day to 6pm on Boxing Day.

Met Office meteorologist Rachel Ayers told the PA news agency: “Christmas Day will be a windy and generally mild day for many with a mixture of sunny spells and showers.

“Showers will be mostly focused in the west where it is possible bands of showers will form some of which will move moving across southern and southeastern England later on bringing some more persistent rain.

“Across the northwest it will turn colder later with showers turning wintry to progressively lower levels.

“Boxing Day will see a cold start with a frost likely in the north.

“Once a band of cloud and rain and showers clears southeastwards, it will be a dry day for many with sunny spells.

“Showers, which will be wintry in places, will continue across Scotland, Northern Ireland and far northern England, locally these could be heavy with hail or a thunderstorm possible.

“Any accumulating snow will be mainly over high ground where there is a risk of blizzards.

“Showers easing into the later part of the afternoon.

“Windy for all, with gales in places especially across the Northern Isles.”

Heavy rain and wind will continue into next week, she added.

The Environment Agency has issued 60 alerts for possible flooding in England while flood warnings, meaning flooding is likely, are in place for Hellingly and Horsebridge in Sussex and Weatherhill Stream at Smallfield in Surrey.

The snow and ice warning says: “Frequent blustery snow showers are likely to cause some travel disruption to higher routes.”