Britain is set to face some of the coldest weather in Europe this winter as cold spells forecast for October threaten to remain prolonged with the arrival of La Niña.
Britain, France and Scandinavia are expected to face the coldest temperatures across the continent this month, forecasts show, with this year’s winter set to be cooler than the last.
This comes as the US Climate Prediction Center has recently lifted predictions for a La Niña phenomenon, which would bring cooler weather to Europe, from 74% to 83%.
Britain has managed to stave off energy blackouts despite warnings over recent winters, as milder weather has averted significant demand spikes while Europe continues to wean itself of Russian gas since the start of the Ukraine war in 2022.
Such La Niña event, which sees large-scale cooling of ocean surface temperatures, could suppress any warmer weather ahead for northern Europe though, alongside affecting weather patterns across the Atlantic and in the southern hemisphere.
Forecasters said this would take shape through November, December and January, and also threaten to curb wind speeds, in turn dampening renewable energy generation.
Gas prices have jumped in recent weeks ahead of the cooler weather, with UK natural gas up almost 20% since a low in mid-September to 94.36p per therm on Tuesday.
The forecasts come as British households grapple with a 10% increase in energy bills from Tuesday under Ofgem’s new price cap.