About the most legit reply I've had lol.

That is a decent update

No doubt Shropshire will now lambast the MetO for not following his err....... Script.

not wanting to defend him here, but to be fair it's not really much of an upgrade for the majority of the UK.

Interestingly they have removed mention of more settled drier weather into the South.

Yeah, his theory which was finally shown up in winter 2009/10 & December 2010 for what it was- a fraud.

Sarah Keith-Lucas via BBC at 2155 (except it was 2200) last night stating that a significant chance had emerged of high pressure over Scandi and low pressure in the SW approaches - the previous longterm outlook, still the MetO favourite, had these positions reversed.

My experience is that when such 'significant' shifts are announced, they often take over as the preferred option,even if the MetO has to be dragged kicking and screaming away from its previously preferred option. So maybe the cold spell in a week's time has a real chance of happening.

Interesting David, another piece of the jigsaw and a potentially pertinent insight from yourself  into the "oil tanker approach" to public forecasting (too much momentum, takes a long time to affect a change in direction....). Time will tell.

In support of the above, Nick Miller on tonights 2155 showed next week's jet stream running across central France. He interpreted this as bringing heavy rain to the south while the north dries out (very likely) but didn't go so far as to say that depressions on a southerly path would pull in a proper easterly (can but hope!)

Heads up - just seen a trailer for Weather World on BBC News Channel, Nick Miller reviewing extreme UK weather this year.It's being repeated 1330 31 Dec and 1030 1st Jan or available online if you (like me ) missed the earlier screenings.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b06ttl2v

My experience is that often when the Met Office finally start to mention cold, within a few hours the models backtrack away from it again. Sure enough that seems to have happened this morning!

The models that we can see, anyway. AFAIK there are other model runs that the MetO have access to that we don't.

Quick, check this out at 2:03 before they take it down:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/weather/features/35202769

LOL at Darren Brett's slip of the tongue!

 blooper

LMAO can't believe they haven't taken it down yet.

LOL rather angry with himself was he

Seen it twice - don't get it!?

I think its gone, I couldnt see anything either, it all looked rather professional

So what did he say then?

Given the highly variable nature of the model output at the moment, I don't think for a moment that further alterations to the MetO's outlook for later in January can be ruled out. The models have been in something of a chaotic mode since just before Xmas than they had been generally for a while before that. We can't even be anywhere sure about next week at the momentm let alone anything beyond that.

Weather Online update for month ahead which contradicts Met Offices Update of so called "Above average temperatures or a low chance of it turning cold: http://www.weatheronline.co.uk/cgi-app/reports?LANG=en&MENU=205&DAY=20151231 - At least it's turning cooler and no more of the dreaded mild gunk, murky windy days of +14 or 15c day after day and week after week with nights of rain & drizzle like December brought! 

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------