Forget about Met Eireann, it's all about the birds.
Every year a flock of 300 Bewick swans migrate from Arctic Russia to Gloucestershire, England, a 2,500 mile journey. Their arrival supposedly signals the beginning of winter.
The first bird of the year arrived yesterday, 25 days earlier than last year, and is the earliest they've arrived since 1963, leading many to believe we're all set for a nightmare of a season ahead.
Speaking to the Daily Telegraph, Slimbridge swan expert Julia Newth said "apparently there's a Russian saying that 'the swan brings snow on its bill', because they tend to move just ahead of the cold weather.
"Of course, we can't infer much from the arrival of a single swan but it's certainly exciting this bird has arrived so early.
"It's only a year old and, because it's made it all the way here on its own, we assume that it must have come to Slimbridge last year as a cygnet with its parents.
So we're basically all hoping that this bird is an idiot, or else just scared by the tiniest bit of cold, or else we're all screwed for the winter.
We'd also like to point out that El Nino is happening in the tropical Pacific, which means warmer waters are creating extreme weather conditions. Plus, Met Eireann has predicted frost around the country this week, so you know, buy a warm jacket.
