It may be milder in some areas than it has been of late, but, looking ahead to the next few months, our data shows that two fifths of the British public believes this year is ‘likely to be the coldest in living memory’. This winter has seen the coldest December for twenty years, with snow and freezing temperatures hitting even the southernmost point of the British Isles in the past two weeks.
- 40% of British adults thought that this year was ‘likely to be the coldest in living memory’
- 29% disagreed and though that ‘the rest of the winter was unlikely to break any records’.
- And while one quarter (25%) believes the ‘coldest December’ is ‘the result of climate change’
- More than double this number, 52%, disagree and think it is not connected to climate change.
This winter has so far been characterised by icy temperatures and prolonged snowfall, especially in northern areas of England and in Scotland.
Online businesses have professed to be hardest hit by the snap, and even large chains such as Tesco, Asda and Sainsbury’s supermarkets have halted online orders in Scotland while they work to clear the backlog caused by adverse weather. Schools across the country closed as roads became treacherous, and travel chaos, which saw many spend the night in their cars or abandon their journeys altogether, led to Scottish Transport Minister Stewart Stevenson’s resignation over his handling of the transport networks in the poor conditions.
Temperatures have been milder across England in recent days but bookies have reportedly cancelled all bets on snow on Christmas Day, such is their certainty that a festive fall will happen.
