Strong El Niño = Mild wet winter 

Weak El Niño = Mild wet winter

Strong La Niña = Mild wet winter

Weak La Niña = Mild wet winter.

ENSO neutral = Mild wet winter.

That pretty much sums our crap climate up.

La Niña should it materialise will probably allow us to write off summer 2016 too. There I've said it, I've just written off next summer. 😂😂😂

And yes I am joking about that!

Many a true word spoken in jest Moomin 

Knowing our luck that's exactly what will happen,if only we could get this current set up May to Sept.

Just come back from south west France to visit family in the south of England before Christmas and I cannot believe how dismal the weather has been for the week we have been here! Wet, grey, miserable and damp (every day!!) We have seen the news of the shocking flooding in the north west and Scotland. It appears the UK climate is really going to hell in a handcart! When do you ever get a prolonged spell of decent winter sunshine and frosty mornings any more?

Our climate in the Charente is amazing compared to what we have left behind! Lots and lots of sunny days. In fact a wet and dull day is rare. We have already had several crisp, frosty mornings and loads of milky winter sunshine. Actually, living in a better climate was one of the main reasons we left. 

It must drive you guys nuts, day after day after day of grey, overcast, wet and mild winter weather. The iconography of Christmas (snowy scenes, snowmen etc) just looks silly in the modern British winter!!

Still, at least the energy companies will take a hit!

Another dismal start to the day and the daytime temperatures don't shift below 12.0c! I will turn the central heating off.

Look forward to the change this week - +14 +16c with overcast weather and more drizzly rain .....more change for pests and bugs and germs to circulate....what a great start to winter (NOT).

This could well turn out to be the first December ever recorded when the temperature at night has not dipped to freezing and not a single frosty or clear morning!...Just horrible weather. At least Scotland is getting one day of average weather with rain/snow and a colder and crisp start.

How long will this endless milder than average weather continue for? I am just fed up with continuously 13 - 14c by day and night.

What was the December of 1997 like? I do recall waking up several mornings in February to temperatures of 14c but even then I also remember so colder and frosty weather .

I mean this is as bad as it get's if you want a colder and snowy winter - Even Gavin said this during his initial winter updates few months ago, he said - I quote "This is looking like a horror show for those that want a cold winter....it's as bad as it get's!" - GAVIN. You're not wrong on this one! haha.

Sadly December looks like being the mildest on record, hot on the heels pf the 3rd warmest November.

Are you thinking January will buck this trend, or February? Most LRFs go for February for a shot at cold.  The greater time distance between the current pattern and an effective reversal of the pattern, the better the chance of the forecast being correct!

Yes I remember later December last year -5c.

Even this mornings low Of 6.6c at 05:06  is still 1 degree too warm......

Still below freezing at noon in Edinburgh, frost on the grass, what's this mildness stuff I keep hearing about?

http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/public/weather/observation/gcvwr3zrw

I thought it was going to be the same here but we had a lovely frosty morning today with the temperature dipping to -2.0C. So much better than the rest of the month. It is very pleasant to be outside with no wind

Unfortunately today is just a blip in an endless sea of dross with the next week looking vile. Probably even worse than it's been 

 A collector's item there - a rare gloat from Richard. Even if it was followed by a moan.

Meanwhile down here, the disgusting dark, dank mild gloom continues unabated.

Indeed, one for the scrapbook, that.

How different a day can be in the same country,frost and potential snow in Scotland whilst down here its still tropical,overnight minimum of 11.7c with a running December mean of 12c and likely to rise this week as is the CET.

By Wednesday some parts could see 15c-16c and continuing into xmas week.

A BBQ Christmas looks increasingly likely

Not really, the vast majority of weather model output available in recent days has shown average (but unsettled) conditions at most.

Shockingly awful here today - 12c, drizzle and very low cloud. A great day to go up to the woods to get greenery for the decorations ... not. It wouldn't have been less festive if we'd done it in July! 

You won't be laughing next year if the price to pay for this spell is a crap height of summer.

Pay the piper......

Just dreadful, have stuff blossoming in the garden, insects buzzing about and saw a bee looking for pollen this morning, This December has been pathetic.