From SKY News

Britain is about to be hit by one of the coldest winters in recent memory, according to the same weather experts who predicted 2004's Summer would be a washout.

And the first chill of the coming freeze will arrive on Monday, the forecasters say.

The people at Metcheck.com believe the country will be subjected to a series of cold fronts sweeping Britain until Christmas.

And the New Year will bring even more icy spells.

Senior forecaster Andrew Bond said: "From what we are predicting, Britain could see its coldest winter of the century so far.

"It is time to ditch the wellies for woollies. This winter will be a lot more cold and less wet than previous winters. The cold snap next week is nature giving us a taste of what is to come in the next few months."

He added: "We are confident that we will see a higher than average frequency of northerly weather types, bringing not just colder weather but a more frequent snowfall than we have experienced in recent years."

Other forecasters are being more cautious, with PA WeatherCentre insisting there is no evidence yet to back up a prediction of colder winter temperatures than usual.

Daniel Adamson, senior meteorologist for the PA WeatherCentre, said: "We can't predict more than 10 days ahead with any accuracy, and there is nothing to suggest that it's going to be exceptionally cold at all."