The stormy weather that has persisted for the past five weeks has now come to an end and the weather will become colder, but the chances of a white Christmas remain extremely slim.

Observing that Bing Crosby has a lot to answer for, a Met Eireann spokesman said that while they could not definitively forecast past the next five days, the weather is likely to remain dry.

"It is a bit early to say, but my own feeling is that there won't be any snow this Christmas, " he said. "Most of next week is going to be extremely calm, with no more of the wind and rain that has left a lot of Ireland under water. This dry weather looks set to continue and while we might get a few frosty nights, this is unlikely to lead to snow."

The British Met Office, which does 10-day forecasts, agreed that the weather in Ireland is likely to stay fine, although there is a likelihood of fog in inland areas.

"The weather is going to be more settled and a lot quieter next week, " said spokesman Wayne Elliot. "It will be largely dry, with some frost and fog in areas away from the coast. This settled weather looks like hanging on."

Ireland doesn't have a great history of snowy Christmases, with only two recorded in the past 50 years, according to Met Eireann.

"The latest white Christmas occurred the year before last, when snow was recorded at Dublin Airport, " said the spokesman. "In general, we don't really get a white Christmas in this country."