TRAFFORD'S very own weather guru has predicted a rainy Christmas and a snowy New Year.

Amateur meteorologist Harry kershaw, who bases his predictions on weather cycles and Atlantic maps, told Messenger that this year's winter would bear resemblances to that of 1979 according to his records.

He said: "That was a severe winter so that is what we are going to get this year. In fact I would say that what we'll experience will be at the top end of severe.

"Four out of 100 winters are very severe, the last one being 1963, which means we are due for another one in the next few years."

The Met Office by contrast says winter temperatures are set to be above average with this season being milder than that of 1979.

Harry explained that the majority of summers in which we experience both a wet June and July are followed by a cold winter, which was indeed the case in 2007.

Harry says this kind of weather predicting is known as similarity forecasting' which was a method developed by the German Army during World War II. He said: "I do not believe in global warming. I do, however, believe in weather cycles."

The Winter Forecast: December: Milder, wet and windy first half then colder towards the end of the month (rainfall above average).

1 - 5 Cold, night frost and fog.

6 - 13 Milder and wet. Winds near gale force 12th to 13th.

14 - 23 Colder, rain, easterly winds.

24 - 28 Prolonged rainfall, milder.

28th Snow in Scotland, starts to move south to England.

29 - 31 Much colder, drier, some snow and windy.

January: Cold and snowy.

1 - 5 Frost and snow.

6 - 9 Short break, milder.

10 - 13 Cold and snowy.

14 - 18 Milder.

19 - 31 Snow continuing, freezing fog on higher ground all day last five days.

Harry said: "My forecast for January is about as bad as it gets. Scotland could see the coldest January since 1963. It will be just a bit warmer towards the south of England."

February: First half cold and snowy, second half milder and wet.

1 - 5 Hail, sleet and snow.

6 - 13 Milder rain and sleet.

14 - 16 Snow and northeast winds.

17 - 29 Milder and showery, cold mist and foggy hill areas.