It may be brisk and sunny in many parts of the country at the moment, but by Thursday the weather is set to become much colder, with a chance of snow.

A blast of cold air from Iceland is grasping the country in a chilly grip, with thickening cloud in the west signalling some outbreaks of rain, particularly towards wales the hills of north western England too.

Met Office meteorologist Becky Mitchell said: “Over the next few days it becomes a bit more of an east, west split. Western areas will see some wet and windy weather at times as low pressure tries to edge its way in, but eastern areas will hang onto the high pressure and that means more fine and settled weather.

“It will be cloudy but still feeling quite chilly here. There’s a lot of uncertainty in the forecast as we head towards Thursday and Friday – there is a chance it could turn a bit more unsettled and possibly with some hill snow.”

Bookmakers Coral and Ladbrokes are both making it odds-on for snow to fall in any major UK city before the end of the week.

Coral is offering odds of 1-4 for snow and 1-2 for a white Christmas, while Ladbrokes odds are at 5-6 and 5-1 for the same events.

Last year saw a white Christmas after wintry showers in Spadeadam in Cumbria and parts of southern Scotland.

For years, a “white” Christmas was only declared if a single flake of snow is observed by a professional meteorologist falling on the roof of the London Weather Centre.

The Met Office has now broadened its definition to extend to other parts of the country, although the snow still has to be recorded by a professional.