Meteorologists are warning the UK to brace for a stormy autumn and a possible bitterly cold winter as a powerful "Super El Niño" begins to influence weather patterns, bringing heavy rain and flooding risk from as early as October. The shift comes after months of record-breaking heat, with the UK on course for its warmest summer on record, meaning experts fear little relief before conditions turn wet, windy and eventually freezing.

Scientists including Dr Amulya Chevuturi of the UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology say wetter, stormier conditions are likely for the UK between October and December, with the North West expected to fare worse than the South East. Professor Bill McGuire noted that strong El Niño events typically bring mild, stormy fewer months followed by bitter cold later in winter, while Dr Akshay Deoras of the University of Reading warned that England's drought-hardened, dry soils may struggle to absorb intense rainfall, raising the risk of flash and surface water flooding. Experts point to the severe storms of the 2015-16 El Niño, including Storm Desmond, as a possible template for what lies ahead.