Coldest winter for 20 years?

[Garden Manager]

I read a report in todays Daily Mail that some forecasters are expecting this winter to be the coldest for 20 years, with maximum lows between -12c and -17c even in more southern parts.

If this is true than this will be quite a shock, particularly as just a few days ago the same 'paper was saying it could be one of the mildest winters ever! Both cannot be right, so someone is either scaremongering, has got things quite wrong or we are in for a 'big freeze' after all. personaly i'd like to think its just media sensationalising (just like those who said we would have a long hot summer in 2007!). The thought of temperatures that low in this country, in the era of supposed global warming does not bear thinking about. I know many older members will recall proper cold winters, but such weather is alien even to people my age let alone those younger.

What do you think. Have you read or heard anything different about the rest of the 2007/8 winter?

[Garden Manager]

[kt.]

The next 5 day forecast for my location here in Teeside is 1-3 degrees. Rain / sleet showers with cold winds. No snow. No big freeze

[ACE]

What do you expect if you read the daily mail, ::) Check with the met office they are the experts, but even they admit they cannot forecast the weather beyond the end of the week. But they can predict what might happen if the past weather patterns choose to duplicate theirselves which will be 50/50 at best.

Now my little bit of seaweed has been blown away, so I can tell you it has been windy since I last looked, my pine cone is a glittery silvery colour, which tells me it is midwinter. I also have my cardie on so it must be under 10%.

Breaking news! the weatherman has just told me it will snow on the north island tomorrow, so stock up with all your panic buying essentials as you will not be able to shop until friday.

[Ceratonia]

This particular forecast is from Piers Corbyn, owner of WeatherWatch, brother of Labour MP Jeremy Corbyn and famous in the seventies for leading squatters rights protests. He has his own secret method for doing long-term forecasts based on solar activity and (according to him) was banned from betting on weather by William Hills because he was too good at it.  He makes a living selling long-range forecasts to businesses and is often quoted in the papers making this kind of prediction.

Personally I think he's (at best) a crank, but maybe history will show him to be a visionary  :D

FWIW, he is predicting that the recent global warming will stop in the next few years and that the whole planet will be significantly colder by 2040. This is related to his prediction that the magnetic pole of the earth will move sharply away from the geographic poles.

[Jeannine]

Snow Hull....Not.. Sleet and wind on Thursday only , and rain on the other of the next 5 days.

Would you believe the only day I have to go out is Thursday,no option.

XX Jeannine

[Eristic]

This is related to his prediction that the magnetic pole of the earth will move sharply away from the geographic poles.

Oh! No! Flat I tell you. The World is flat. Flat. ::)

[saddad]

Somebody was listening to him as we have the snow warning routine to go through at work tomorrow morning...
I can remember -19C in Leeds and the Pennines... 1979, 1981, and 1986 when the average temp for February, the whole month, night and day was -4C...
I remember it well as I got married in it, we even have snow on our wedding photo's to show for it... OH wore thermals under her dress!
;D

[cambourne7]

Well i cant see it getting that cold but its cold now 1.2 C and the temp is falling.

Before christmas it was going down to -10 so i guess were in for more of the same.

[saddad]

I don't remember the January as particularly cold... it changes quite quickly... just one over excited Polar high camping out in the North Sea and it can get very cold!
;D

[cambourne7]

Jan 2006 was pretty cold

http://www.cl.cam.ac.uk/research/dtg/weather/index-period-graph.html

[Ceratonia]

The botanic garden is good for Cambridge weather records - they've got about 100 years of data.

http://www.botanic.cam.ac.uk/weather.htm gives a good summary of last few years.

[ACE]

Well I have taken notice of the forecast and climbed up and tied the palm trees leaves up to protect the new growth. Fleeced the bougainvillaea and the daturas, I took the bananas in a few weeks ago so all should be well. I do not usually bother but they are mature plants now and it would be a shame to lose them.
But the aptenia will have to take its chances again, it usually recovers quite well. The garden is due for a big makeover this year so I will have a job to fit some of them in the new scheme. I am planning to build a gazebo in the style of a carousel which will rotate and the rest of the garden will be in the fairground theme.

Out goes the henge, might keep the rose arbour, but change the roses for blousey clematis and plant the climbing roses to ramble through the orchard. I have obtained a few thousand led's and a roll of fibre optic cable so along with all the barge painted benches, swings and chairs it will be rather bright.