My brother - who is a dreadful weather oik - says the same. Something to do with high pressures over Scandinavia and Russia which only happens once every 15 years, he excitedly told me last night.

I don't trust his prognosis though because he turns into a human version of the Daily Express every November with irritating monotony...seeing blizzards under every gooseberry bush.

So it is worrying to have independent corroboration of his doom laden projections.