The Met Office must be so frustrated by this sort of thing. Read the comments and people are saying things like "Well if that's what the Met Office are predicting then I'll get the BBQ out". People see a weather story and assume it is the Met Office.

Mr Rao even shoehorned in a quote from the Met Office at the end, saying it would be settled and HP dominated with the risk of frost and fog for the next few days... but oh no that means minimum temperatures will be a bit below average!

Originally Posted by: Quantum 

Tweet from Ian:

Ian Fergusson ‏@fergieweather 1h

Colder spell expected later next week may last somewhat longer than initially suspected but longevity & influence to S UK very uncertain

Originally Posted by: Whiteout 

I dread to think what the Express will do about next weekend's cold spell.

They will probably say "we told you so all along" and people are so thick they will fall for it

Originally Posted by: The Beast from the East 

Obviously at this range, it could well be entirely wrong - so let's hope so!

Originally Posted by: The Beast from the East 

I can hear Marcus priming his A47

Originally Posted by: The Beast from the East 

Looking for something a tad bigger Dave

Originally Posted by: The Beast from the East 

Poor update from the Meto seems to go along with the latest GFS 12z

UK OUTLOOK For Tuesday 3rd December 2013 to Thursday 12th December 2013

Mostly cloudy and generally dry for most of the UK on Tuesday with light winds, but outbreaks of light rain and strengthening winds in the northwest will move slowly southeast through the day, with scattered showers following in the northwest. Through to next weekend southern Britain will remain generally cloudy but dry, with colder, more changeable weather in the north spreading slowly south. Temperatures initially around normal for the time of year in the south, but it is set to turn colder from the north. Later in this period, the cold weather will gradually give way, first in the north, but finally in the south with milder westerly winds and unsettled weather reaching the north later. The south will probably remain more settled.

Originally Posted by: Ally Pally Snowman 

However, the Met Office hasn’t issued a warning along these lines and we have not highlighted months of ‘exceptionally cold’ weather ahead. If there is any sign of significantly cold weather or disruptive snow in the forecast, we will keep the country up to date through our forecasts and warnings.

Daily Express press the nuclear button today

BIG FREEZE TO LAST THREE MONTHS

Whats more astonishing is they say its official Met Office. Can they be sued? What can be done about Mr Desmond?

Originally Posted by: The Beast from the East 

They quoted one scientist as saying "one flap of a seagull's wings could change the course of weather forever". Hence atmospheric 'chaos' means that long range forecasting is paritcularly difficult.
The blog goes on to state: "Speculative forecasts appearing in the media and claiming to accurately and definitively forecast UK weather months ahead are therefore doomed to failure when analysed over a long period of time."
Despite various experimental methods aimed at long-term forecasting it remains an inexact art. As for this winter the Met Office is saying that as things stand, December is set to be "fairly normal".

Outlook for Monday to Wednesday:
Monday, rather cloudy, some light showers, mainly in the northwest. Mostly light rain edging southeastwards through Tuesday and Wednesday. Showers following, perhaps wintry over high ground in the north.
Issued at: 0400 on Sat 30 Nov 2013


UK Outlook for Wednesday 4 Dec 2013 to Friday 13 Dec 2013:
Much of England and Wales will be cloudy on Wednesday, with occasional rain clearing southwards. Further north, a mixture of bright spells and showers is most likely, especially in the north and northwest, with sheltered eastern parts mostly dry. Some of the showers may be wintry over hills, and it will be windy. More persistent rain will spread southwards during Thursday with further showers following from the northwest. These showers may be wintry in the south with snow possible from northern England northwards. Temperatures are likely to be around or a little below normal at first, but it may turn colder from the north on Thursday and feel colder still in the wind. Thereafter, it should gradually become more settled from the southwest with temperatures slowly recovering to nearer normal.

Originally Posted by: Gooner