Britain is about to be battered by a conveyor belt of 60mph Atlantic storms, bringing flooding and widespread travel chaos.
And temperatures could plunge to minus 10C around New Year, thanks to Russian winds carrying a “Beast from the East”. The icy spells will last a week or more at times.
The Met Office expects similar conditions to the deep freeze of December 2010, when temperatures also fell below minus 10C.
Their forecast for November to January says: “Winds will change from westerly to an easterly phase which can lead to a greater incidence of blocking patterns, increasing the probability of cold weather.”
People who had been enjoying late autumn barbecues are being warned to dust off their brollies as the miserable weather is expected to stay throughout the run-up to Christmas.
Winter is set to arrive with a bang this week following months of glorious sunshine and record-breaking warm temperatures. Heavy rain will sweep across most parts of the country today and continue through to the weekend.
