CHRISTMAS this year is more likely to be green than white, say scientists. This is because many trees will still have not shed their leaves – and some people could still be mowing their lawns in December.

The warm autumn weather means that trees, grass and other plants are still making greenery at a time when most were once shutting down for the winter, says researchers at the Centre for Ecology and Hydrology in Cambridgeshire.

In recent years, many gardeners were still mowing their lawns by Bonfire Night, November 5th, and some unlucky folk had to keep on doing so throughout the winter.

And The Fall, as the Americans call autumn because of dropping leaves, now doesn’t happen until well into December and sometimes even later. We now have 10 per cent more sunshine in October and November than we did in 1914, say the records.