Northern Europe set for colder than normal Dec-Feb - The Weather Company

LONDON, Nov 21 (Reuters) - Northern Europe is expected to experience colder than normal temperatures from December to February, the Weather Company said on Monday.

Cooler weather has lasted longer than previously expected, leading the forecaster to alter its expectations for the next few months, Todd Crawford, chief meteorologist at the firm, said.

"The colder pattern that started in October has persisted into November, this is a fairly clear sign that our original ideas for this winter were a bit off base," he said.

The Weather Company previous forecast warmer than usual temperatures for Britain and northern Europe for January.

"Because of the weak stratospheric polar vortex, there is also an increasingly good change of a sudden stratospheric warming sometime within the next 4-6 weeks that would ramp up the cold risks later in the winter," he said.

The Weather Company, owned by IBM (NYSE: IBM - news) , provides weather forecasts aimed at the commodities and energy sectors. DECEMBER: Nordics - Colder than normal UK - Slightly warmer than normal Northern mainland - Colder than normal east, warmer than normal west Southern mainland - Warmer than normal west JANUARY: Nordics - Slightly warmer than normal UK - Slightly colder than normal Northern mainland - Colder than normal Southern mainland - Colder than normal FEBRUARY: Nordics - Colder than normal UK - Colder than normal Northern mainland - Colder than normal Southern mainland -Warmer than normal (Reporting By Susanna Twidale)