As squirrels bulk up and spiders invade our homes, nature might be hinting at a winter unlike any we've seen in recent years. According to ancient folklore, Brits could be in for a long, chilly winter with ominous signs appearing across the UK's wildlife.

Many believe that certain animal behaviours can provide reliable indicators of an upcoming season's severity, with the woolly bear caterpillar being one such creature. The wider the brown middle band on its back, the milder the coming winter is rumoured to be.

However, experts question the reliability of a caterpillar as a weather forecaster. Similarly, squirrels are sometimes used to predict whether we'll need to wrap up more than usual in the coming winter months.

If you've noticed squirrels carrying extra weight at this time of year, it could be a sign they're expecting temperatures to drop more than usual. This is also said when there's a pattern of these bushy-tailed creatures hoarding large quantities of nuts to last them until spring.

Meanwhile, spiders spinning larger webs than usual has long been linked to colder temperatures, but these are simply the products of larger, mature spiders.

Spiders flooding into homes en masse during autumn and winter is also frequently attributed to numerous spider species reaching maturity in the autumn, prompting males to venture out seeking females, making them more noticeable indoors.

Bird migration patterns have long been considered a sign of the weather to come, according to folklore.

However, while it's true that birds can sense approaching storms through changes in atmospheric pressure, temperature, and humidity, as well as hearing infrasound, an early southward migration doesn't necessarily mean we're in for a cold snap.

The Met Office has confirmed that astronomical winter in the UK will begin on 21 December and last until late March.

But from a meteorological perspective, winter always starts on 1 December and ends on 28 or 29 February during leap years.

So far this year, the UK has enjoyed a "remarkably sunny" spell, despite recent drops in temperature and gloomy periods across the country.

According to the Met Office's three-month forecast, there's a 55 per cent chance of "near average" temperatures and a 30 per cent likelihood of "mild" conditions, with just a 15 per cent chance of a colder season.

However, these forecasts are based on historical weather patterns and should be seen as guidance rather than definitive predictions.