Dreaming of a white Christmas?

HOT STUFF . . . Dr Alan Goodman and Jessica Smith check out the weather charts

Then just keep dreaming...

OLDHAMERS have only a 5 per cent chance of enjoying a white Christmas according to a clued-up teenager.

North-West Climate Change champion Jessica Smith (14) visited the Manchester Met Office in Stockport to explore the impact of global warming on Greater Manchester and work out our chances of getting snow on Christmas Day.

According to Jessica’s experiments, Oldham is due a sunny, clear and frosty day on December 25.

Jessica, from Birkdale near Southport, is nearing the end of her year-long reign as the region’s climate change champion.

She was picked for the role by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) from thousands of applicants.

Over the past few months she has travelled internationally to see the effects of climate change first hand, while communicating the message that people must reduce their carbon footprints by taking simple and effective action.

Jessica said: “I have learned a great deal during my time as climate change champion, looking at a range of topics from the commitment by big businesses such as Manchester Airport to gain carbon neutral status for its energy use, to sailing across Windermere in the Lake District and seeing how the temperature of England’s largest lake has risen due to global warming.

“My visit to Manchester Met Office is an enlightening way of seeing the bigger picture.

“Everyone can do their bit to reduce the impact of global warming, starting by recycling Christmas cards and festive wrapping paper in the New Year.”