Britons facing colder winter

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An official forecast from the Met Office suggests that although this winter will be slightly warmer and drier than average, it will be noticeably colder than last year.

Britain enjoyed one of the warmest winters on record last year, but this winter is likely to be less mild in most regions.

On the bright side, we should expect far less rain than last year, the report indicates.

The 1971 to 2000 average winter temperature for the UK was 3.7C (38.7F), and rainfall 13in.

Last year saw an average temperature of 5.6C (42.8F) and an average rainfall of 17.2in.

Rob Varley, spokesman for the Met Office commented: "Most of the winters in the last 10 years have been relatively mild, with last winter being the second warmest on record.

"Although the Met Office has predicted the likelihood of another mild winter we expect it to be noticeably colder than last year. This advice will allow contingency and resource planners in Government and business to be better prepared for the winter ahead."

Met Office winter forecasting methods are based primarily on the influence of ocean temperatures, particularly the North Atlantic Ocean, on the European winter climate.