Before the cold blast, warmer weather was on the way, say scientists (File)

The UK could be bracing for one of the coldest winters in 30 years, scientists have warned.

The scientists made this prediction after analysing current sea temperatures and weather systems over the North Atlantic, The Daily Mail said in the reported.

The team, led by professor Mark Saunders, told The Sunday Times: "This would rank the 2020 January-February central England temperature as the coldest winter since 2013 and January-February 2020 as the seventh coldest winter in the past 30 years."

Freezing Arctic air is set to descend on the UK in the first months of next year as the Gulf stream will sidestep Britain, leaving the country without the rise in temperature it normally brings to the British Isles from the Atlantic and Caribbean sea.

According to climate prediction experts at University College London, before the cold blast, warmer weather was on the way, with some forecasters suggesting it could turn out to be the hottest September on record, with highs of 26 degrees Celsius.