Bookmakers have reportedly slashed odds on a white Christmas this year.

But forecasters in Essex say it is still unclear whether the county will see some snow over the festive period.

Some wet weather is forecast for Christmas Day on Saturday but the Essex Weather Centre says it is too early to judge whether it will be cold enough to turn to snow.

It tweeted: “Huge uncertainty remains for the Christmas period.

“A battle between mild and cold air continues to show across the models this evening and will be several more days before any clarity in the forecast.”

The update from the weather centre came 24 hours after it appeared to have ruled out a white Christmas.

It had said a wet and mild Christmas was expected in Essex.

The Met Office’s latest forecast shows there may be some showers around in parts of the county on Saturday, with light rain likely to arrive in the evening.

However, it is expected to be largely cloudy throughout the day.

Crucially, the forecast shows temperatures will be around 8c, making it too warm for rain to turn to snow.

Speaking about the general forecast for the UK over Christmas, Met Office meteorologist Annie Shuttleworth told the PA news agency: “We could see some snow showers over the hills in northern parts of the UK – it’s probably the most likely place to see any snow.

“You couldn’t rule out some sleety snow further south than that, but there’s a really big question mark on it.”

In the days between Christmas and New Year’s Eve, the Met Office expects more settled, dry, calm and cold weather.