UK Could Be Set To Have The Coldest Winter In Decades

According to a meteorologist, the arctic assault could start as early as November and continue through until February 2019.

The four-month period of snow and ice is set to be caused by 'supercharged' low-pressure systems.

According to the long-range weather forecast, El Nino - a band of warm ocean air - could bring a change in air behaviour leading to the icy temperatures over to the UK.

It's being predicted that this winter could be one of the coldest in recent years with freezing winds and buckets of snow a strong possibility.

Of course, long-range forecasts can only give an indication of what may happen and the Met Office doesn't offer forecasts for longer than 30 days in advance.

Instead, these models give one idea of what the weather could look like months down the line.

One weather forecaster says an intense cold snap could last all the way to February next year, making it similar to the big freeze of 2010 - that was the coldest December since records began in 1910.

He also warned that the cold snap would be around for the long haul, and in the New Year snowfall is expected for January and beyond.

Madden said: "All our long-range projections have been showing for quite some time that December is likely to be a colder than average month overall and we are expecting several widespread snowy periods.

"This year we are expecting potentially hazardous winter conditions from early on in the season."

He went on to explain that the chilly temperatures could be caused by a drop in solar activity which can throw the jet stream of warm air - which aids to our milder temperate - off balance and cause a Sudden Stratospheric Warming (SSW).

This is what caused the 2010 freeze and last year's Beast from the East which left parts of the UK under thick blankets of snow.

On a lighter note, it might be time to get your odds in at the bookies, because we could, finally, be in for a white Christmas.