Groundhog day for US weather watchers

With the US experiencing mild weather this winter, six more weeks of it might not be so bad.

The unseasonably warm temperatures and lack of snow would seem to put less pressure on Punxsutawney Phil.

The groundhog from central Pennsylvania is set to make his annual weather prediction just before 7.30am EST (12.30pm Irish Time) today.

Legend has it that if Phil sees his shadow, winter will hang around for another six weeks. If not, spring is on its way.

Organisers say 15,000 to 18,000 people are expected to witness the animal’s prognostication on Gobbler’s Knob, a tiny hill in Punxsutawney, which is about 65 miles (105km) north-east of Pittsburgh.