Forecasters are predicting the bleakest winter in over 50 years, as Arctic weather threatens to make it a far colder than even the big freeze of 2010.
Forecaster James Madden from Exactaweather says that a huge area of colder than usual surface water in the mid-Atlantic will affect the Gulf Stream and expose Ireland to Siberian temperatures.
"Without the influence of this vital heat source we can expect a horrific winter to develop with frequent blizzards/strong winds and extremely cold conditions," he said.
"During the winter period of 1962/63 the famous big freeze took hold of the country from around Christmas until spring of the following year because of a similar situation.
"We could be looking at a very similar time-frame and scale of events this time around . . . people should certainly be prepared."
