The UK could be in for a bitterly cold and snowy winter due to the effects of the El Nino phenomenon, which experts have said is at its strongest for decades.

The term relates to a particular relationship between the atmosphere and the ocean, and occurs around every two to seven years. It can have disastrous effects on the world’s weather system.

El Nino events happen when predominant winds which occur over surface water in the tropical pacific start to become weaker. In turn, warm waters in the western Pacific begin to wash eastwards, forcing precipitation to follow.

The latest cycle could push the average global temperature past 2014's record high in 2016.

However, meteorologists predict that the El Nino will create weather in the UK this winter similar to that of 2009/2010, when heavy snowfall caused chaos at transport hubs including airports.

Thomas Shafernaker, a Met Office meteorologist and BBC forecaster, told The Telegraph: “This time round it could be the strongest in decades.

“In Europe sometimes winters end up much colder and drier and last much into spring. In 2010 the El Nino played a part in bringing huge amounts of snow to the UK.”

However, Met Office climatologist Dr Doug Smith told the newspaper that it was too early to predict the exact impact that the phenomenon would have on Britain.

UK winter weather Show all 30 1 /30 UK winter weather UK winter weather UK winter weather Cars make their way through the snow in the Loxley area of Sheffield UK winter weather UK winter weather A cyclist makes his way through a blizzard in Durham UK winter weather UK winter weather Heavy snow falls on the A690 into Durham UK winter weather UK winter weather Picture of snow taken through a window of a plane stuck at Manchester Airport UK winter weather UK winter weather A woman walks in heavy snow in the Loxley area of Sheffield UK winter weather UK winter weather Heavy snow in the Loxley area of Sheffield UK winter weather UK winter weather A snow covered Durham Cathedral UK winter weather UK winter weather Snow covered graves at St Joseph's Church in west Belfast, as an orange weather alert is announced in Northern Ireland UK winter weather UK winter weather Sheep in snow, in the Glens of Antrim, as an orange weather alert is announced in Northern Ireland UK winter weather UK winter weather Snow Blizzards on the A9 road near Blackford, Perthshire as snow blizzards sweep across the country UK winter weather UK winter weather A cyclist on Dumbarton Road in Stirling during a snow blizzard UK winter weather UK winter weather A dog walker walks through the Kings Knot area below Stirling Castle during a snow blizzard UK winter weather UK winter weather Vehicles driving down Dumbarton Road in Stirling during a snow blizzard UK winter weather UK winter weather Scotrail train travels through snow covered country side near Lenzie, Scotland Rex Features UK winter weather UK winter weather A man digs his car out of the snow near Shaw, northern England UK winter weather UK winter weather A dog walker in the snow on the Pennine hilltops near Reeth in the Yorkshire Dales, as many parts of the UK were on snow alert with wintry showers threatening to disrupt travel John Giles/PA Wire UK winter weather UK winter weather A snow plough on the A93 near Guildtown, as snow brings fresh disruption to parts of the UK Danny Lawson/PA Wire UK winter weather UK winter weather Andrew Millington (left) and Stephen Peacock walk near the Spittal of Glenshee as snow brings fresh disruption to parts of the UK Danny Lawson/PA Wire UK winter weather UK winter weather Snow covers the A68 near Corbridge in Northumberland, as many parts of the UK were on snow alert with wintry showers threatening to disrupt travel Owen Humphreys/PA Wire UK winter weather UK winter weather A car makes its way through snowfall in Gortin near Omagh, as many parts of the UK were on snow alert with wintry showers threatening to disrupt travel Niall Carson/PA Wire UK winter weather UK winter weather Sleaford Lincolnshire in the snow Boxing Day 2014 Mark Suffield UK winter weather UK winter weather Snow at Liverpool's John Lennon Airport, which closed temporarily on Friday night @dazza1405/PA Wire UK winter weather UK winter weather Maisy Byrne, aged nine, (left) and sister Lulu Byrne, aged seven, have fun as snow falls on Boxing Day in Gateacre, Liverpool Peter Byrne/PA Wire UK winter weather UK winter weather A decorative snowman surrounded by real snow outside a house in Eccleston Park, near Prescot, Merseyside PA UK winter weather UK winter weather Maisy Byrne, 9, left, and sister Lulu Byrne, 7, have fun as snow falls in Gateacre, Liverpool PA UK winter weather UK winter weather Snowfall in Uttoxeter, Staffordshire on Boxing Day PA UK winter weather UK winter weather A man pushing a motorcycle through snow in Newtown Linford, Leicestershire on Boxing Day Reuters UK winter weather UK winter weather On the M6 near Sandbach Leonie Raby UK winter weather UK winter weather Snow swirling around the grounds of Lichfield Cathedral on Boxing Day Andrew Fox UK winter weather UK winter weather Referee Mark Clattenburg during the Premier League football match between Manchester City and West Bromwich Albion at The Hawthorns in the Midlands Reuters

El Nino means “little boy” or “the baby Jesus” in Spanish, and was named by South American fishermen who noticed that the ocean heats around Christmas.