UK GAS-Prices rise on cooler weather forecasts, low wind power

Feb 20 (Reuters) - British wholesale gas prices rose on Tuesday morning, as forecasts for cooler weather and expectations of low output from wind farms buoyed demand.

* Within-day gas price up 1.05 pence at 55.25 p/therm by 0853 GMT

* Day-ahead gas price up 1.80 p at 56.00 p/therm

* "With (Other OTC: WWTH - news) temperatures turning colder from tomorrow and staying below normal for the rest of our balance forecast horizon the day-ahead LDZ (Local (Stuttgart: 19549987.SG - news) distribution zone) consumption is 13 million cubic metres (mcm) up at 216 mcm," analysts at Thomson Reuters said in a daily note

* Home heating accounts for 40 percent of Britain's gas use, meaning cold temperatures can have a big impact on demand

* Britain's Met Office forecast temperatures would drop over the next few days and could reach lows of minus 3 degrees Celsius in the south of the country by Monday

* Traders said low output from the country's wind farms also boosted demand for gas from gas-fired power generators

* Peak wind power generation is forecast at 5 gigawatts (GW) on Tuesday, falling to 1.6 GW on Wednesday, National Grid (LSE: NG.L - news) data showed

* Expectations that cooler than normal weather would continue into March lifted the front-month contract

* March contract up 0.95 p at 54.50 p/therm

* Forecasters the Weather Company said on Tuesday most of Europe is likely to see below normal temperatures in March.

* Day-ahead gas price at the Dutch TTF hub was up 0.40 euro at 20.00 euros per megawatt-hour

* Benchmark Dec-18 EU carbon contract was down 0.06 euro at 9.82 euros per tonne

* Thomson Reuters (Dusseldorf: TOC.DU - news) analyst view:http://emea1.apps.cp.extranet.thomsonreuters.biz/cms/?pageid=united-kingdom-gas (Reporting by Susanna Twidale; editing by Jason Neely)