The stormy weather battering the north of Scotland has been estimated to continue throughout the rest of winter into 2016.
A secret report by the Met Office has warned of three months of storms as the biggest “El Nino” in 144 years is set to batter Britain.
The report states that El Nino – which is caused by warming of the Pacific Ocean and affects global weather – “will more likely than not become the strongest event on record.”
Experts have briefed councils and emergency services across the country in preparation of the wild weather over the next three months.
Floods could occur as more than one and a half feet of rain plus gale force winds sub-zero temperatures are expected until January.
The report reads: “The risk of spells of windy or stormy weather is greater than usual. There is a clear shift towards above average rainfall.”
But forecasters have also predicted a relatively mild festive season over the Christmas and New Year period.
Meteorologists Accuweather have predicted storms, rain and lower temperatures across much of the country for late January and February.
But there is bad news for fans of a white Christmas, with the week between December 25 and January 1 expected to be snow-free.
Jason Nicholls, a senior meteorologist at Accuweather, said: “Around that time of year, it may be fairly mild, or at least a little bit above normal.”
He explained that one of the reasons that could contribute to unsettled weather this winter is an area of high pressure west of Portugal.
He added: “A lot of it has to do with some of the water temperature across the Atlantic. One of the big factors is an area of high pressure near the Azores, which looks like it will strengthen later in the season, allowing the storm tract to come further north to Scotland.
“Our initial thinking was the storm tract would drop further down south and Scotland would be spared some storminess, but now it looks like the tract is maybe heading a little bit further north.
“Temperature-wise, there’s one very cool pool of water over the north-west Atlantic that has me a little concerned that temperatures could be brought to a bit below normal, especially in western and northern Scotland.”
Mr Nicholls also predicted that the cold temperatures arriving in Scotland would bring the bitterest chills to Orkney and Shetland.
He said: “These islands will be a little bit colder than normal, as they’re a bit closer to that cold pool in the Atlantic.
“I think December will be a relatively quiet, mild month for the most part across Aberdeen and the rest of Scotland, but, as you get into January and February, it’s going to get a lot stormier, especially in February.”