Ex-weatherman Fish gambles against White Christmas

Weatherman Michael Fish has put his reputation on the line again – betting £1,000 (1,400) it will not snow on Christmas Day.

Fish, famous for his “what hurricane?” prediction in 1987, will donate any winnings to the Band Aid appeal.

The retired BBC forecaster said: “I’ve been following the speculations with interest over the last few days and whilst I agree that it is looking probable that it will snow in the north, it’s not so likely in London.

“For it to be deemed a White Christmas, at least one flake of snow has to fall on the roof of the London weather centre.”

The 60-year-old said: “The building itself is situated in central London where temperatures can be several degrees higher than the outer parts of the city due to the high density of the buildings, and therefore it’s unlikely we will see snow this year.

“It has not snowed on Christmas Day in London since 1970, so, I am not sure who’s job it is to stand up there and check on Christmas Day, but I hope they are paying them well because it could possibly be a long wait.”