UK Winter Is More Likely to Be Colder Than Normal

Article content

(Bloomberg) — The UK faces a colder winter than normal, risking higher demand for heating as an energy crisis tightens supply of natural gas and raises risks of shortages.

There is a 25% chance the season will be cold, 60% chance of it being near average and 15% it will be mild, according to the Met Office’s three-month outlook. “The likelihood of a colder three-month period overall is slightly greater than normal,” according to the outlook.

Article content

The weather is quickly becoming a major factor as an unusually hot October kept gas demand in check across Europe and brought some relief for policy makers. The start of the heating season has been pushed back, allowing more gas to be injected into storage sites. The safety buffer could play a key role when the temperatures do drop and consumption picks up again.