EAST Lancashire experienced one of the warmest Decembers in the last 10 years, according to experts.

Temperatures have been more than double what would normally be expected for this time of year and follows two years of wintry Christmas and New Year periods.

Snow and icy conditions caused disruption across East Lancashire roads earlier this month but the cold spell was short lived, with more gales and showers experienced than in previous months.

Christmas Day was the mildest day with a temperature of 12.3 degrees and no snow fell.

Weather expert Roy Chetham, who collates data from his monitoring station at his home in Huncoat, described December as a ‘topsy turvy’ month.

He said: “People were getting used to the idea that winters were mild until we had the two previous harsh winters.

“This is what we expected but it has been a topsy turvy month.

“Nationally it has been the third warmest on record over the past 10 years.

“It has been warmer during the day and night, but that could all change and we could get a cold snap as the month is not over yet.

"Rainfall has been up to seven inches so it has been quite high for December. The lack of snow was very noticeable compared to the previous year.

“It has also been a very windy month.

“We haven’t had the violent storms that other areas have.

“We have had prevailing westerly airflow which hasn’t allowed intervals so the rain and wind has been constant.

“I forecast it will be unsettled over the next few days with more wind and rain.”

According to the Met Office, the outlook for the New Year weekend is mainly cloudy but mild with showery conditions spreading on Sunday.