It looks like Western Europe is going to have a cold winter, if the report I saw on the BBC web-site (see below) turns out to be true. If Britain is hit by northerly winds, I suspect Madrid too will have cold conditiions. However, "the coldest winter this century" doesn't really mean a lot, does it???
>>

Prepare for one of the coldest winters on record, forecasters who predicted this summer's rain have advised - but the Met Office is not so sure.

Metcheck.com predicts regular cold snaps until Christmas and prolonged bleak spells in January.

The firm correctly forecast the deluges that hit Britain in the summer.

But the long view is not shared by all. The Met Office, which issues a 4-week forecast, said it is "very difficult" to forecast so far in advance.

Metcheck.com senior forecaster Andrew Bond said: "From what we are predicting, Britain could see its coldest winter of the century so far.

"It is time to ditch the wellies for woollies. This winter will be a lot more cold and less wet than previous winters.

"The cold snap next week is nature giving us a taste of what is to come in the next few months."

We expect temperatures to drop in winter

Dominic Woollartt
Met Office spokesman

He added: "We are confident that we will see a higher than average frequency of northerly weather types, bringing not just colder weather but a more frequent snowfall than we have experienced in recent years."

He predicted bitterly cold winds in the south and snowfall in the north and said there would then be a very cold spell between 22-27 November.

Met Office spokesman Dominic Woollartt told BBC News Online the longest forecast they offered was four months, with one currently available up to 7 November.

"We are expecting the weather to turn cool, but further than that it's hard to say."

Chaos

When asked what the Met Office forecast could be for winter, he said: "We expect temperatures to drop in winter".

Mr Woollartt said he was unaware of what techniques Metcheck.com was using to look so far into the future. Chaos theory - which shows that small fluctuations in sea temperatures can have huge consequences over land - could scupper anything too far ahead, he pointed out.

"It is easier to give forecasts more accurately in the near term than the long term. If we predicted something for January and were wrong, there would be a huge comeback.

"We prefer to offer quality rather than quantity," he added.

Professional forecasters use complex numerical weather forecast models to build up a picture of the likelihood of different weather types affecting the UK.

White christmas bets

Amateur forecasters use more down to earth techniques, such as Bill Foggitt in North Yorkshire who monitored insect activity, where frogs spawned in his pond, when swallows departed south and the behaviour of his cat.

Old wives' tales include: if it thunders in February, it will frost in April; ice in November to bear a duck, the rest of the winter'll be slush and muck; and fog in January makes a wet spring.

Bookmakers Ladbrokes said it had cut the odds on a white Christmas from 8/1 to 6/1.

Filbert,
Despite the hurricanes, we have had a rather cool Summer here in Florida. I've noticed that the squirrels began harvesting their nuts early this Summer too.

Hope that it won't be too cold!
So much for Global Warming!!

And even with all that forwarning, we still wont be prepared will we?

Strange how we are always caught out.

Actually I never take the shovel and wellies out of the boot of my car all year long ... just incase

Here's hoping for the dry crisp variety of winter, not the sloppy slushy one.

Mrs Damart

Jo, looks like you will be having another Miss Read "Winter in Fairacre" type of year! Please be sure to capture in pictures and share.

I really did not want to hear that prediction. I decided to visit the French Rivera this February. The airfare was cheap ($295), and I traded a timeshare week, so it’s a bargain basement priced vacation. The average temperature in St. Tropez in February is 56 F. I could deal with that especially since it is warmer than Michigan. Now, you have me doubting my choice.