Prof Warns Mini Ice Age has Started

German meteorologists say that the start of 2013 is the coldest in 208 years - and now German media has quoted Russian scientist Dr Habibullo Abdussamatov from the St. Petersburg Pulkovo Astronomical Observatory, who says it is proof that we are heading for a "Mini Ice Age."

Talking to German media, the scientist said that based on his sunspot studies, we are now on an "unavoidable advance towards a deep temperature drop."

Building on observations made by English astronomer Walter Maunder, Dr Abdussamatov said he had found that the Earth cools and warms in a 200-year cycles.

The last big freeze, known as the Little Ice Age, took place between 1650 and 1850 which he said coincided with Maunder's findings that there had been no sunspots between 1645 and 1715.

"The last global decrease of temperature (the coldest phase of the Little Ice Age) was observed not only in Europe, North America and Greenland, but also in any other part of the world during the Maunder minimum of sunspot activity and of the total solar irradiance in 1645 - 1715 years," says Abdussamatov.

People forced to leave settlements that had been inhabited for several centuries

"All channels in the Netherlands were frozen, glaciers were on the advance in Greenland and people were forced to leave their settlements, inhabited for several centuries," Abdussamatov continues.

Humanity has always prospered during warm periods and suffered during the cold ones

"The Thames river in London and Seine in Paris were frozen over every year. Humanity has always been prospering during the warm periods and suffering during the cold ones. The climate has never been and will never be stable."

Heavy snow and cold driving UK into triple-dip recession

Abdussamatov's warning that cold weather would hit prosperity follows news that Britain is heading for an unprecedented triple-dip recession as economists warned that the combination of heavy snow and sub-zero temperatures might be a crucial factor in whether the economy expanded in the first three months of 2013.

Now the Russian scientist, who first made his prediction in 2005, says the new mini Ice Age will begin next year and will last for 200 years.

The Met Office has warned that temperatures will remain below average until about 20 April, not just in the UK, but in the rest of the world.

Prof Warns Mini Ice Age has Started