Well the "Met Office" forecast is all over the papers and radio here in
Ireland. On two separate stations today it was a "significant" news item. On
both occasions the story was supported by an interview with someone from the
UK Met Office.

In essence this person, whose name escapes me for now, talked about the NAO
and the forecasted negative anomaly. Based on the recent correlation on
May's SSTs to the following winter ,the NAO is forecast on the negative
side.

Prompted by the interviewer as to what this might mean for the British
Isles, the spokesman carried on by saying that the winds were expected to
come predominantly from an Easterly direction from end-December into
February. If from the NE then more risk of snow expected; if from SE then
cold but drier weather-type.

The interviewer pressed for how cold this might mean and did it mean another
62/63? - the spokesman just responded that this was always a risk and that
the Met Office were obligated to inform energy companies about potential
cold, i.e. no distinct reference that I heard as to what temps we might talk
about other than he did remark that in Scotland in 1991(?) temps got as low
as -20c! He also went on to add that the next forecast run is due on
September 26th and of course as we get further into the winter period we
will know more...as Darren would say...more runs are needed!!!

Of course the media is having a field-day and the headlines are all about
SEVERE, FREEZE, etc. There goes any chance of me landing another betting
coup on a White Christmas with the bookies. It's a conspiracy I tell you!!!
Be luck to get odds of 6/1 now for snow at any of the usual landmarks!!!

So nothing we don't already know really other than the Met Office do seem to
be making people available to support the view.

Joe