.rrr...mudians.

For cool winds have turned Christmas again into the season of good chill.

Monday night saw temperatures dip to a nippy 59.6 degrees Fahrenheit, while yesterday's low was 62.

And weather experts have sounded another chilling warning: There is more to come.

"It will probably remain like this until Saturday. At the weekend we can expect some rain,'' said Bermuda Weather Service forecaster Mr. Dick Nelis.

Shivering Bermudians, however, should spare a thought for their friends overseas.

Torontonians, for example, have been hit by 14 degrees, while New Yorkers are suffering in 31. And those in snowy Pittsburgh are already bracing themselves for a white Christmas.

Hardly surprising, therefore, that Bermuda even in December remains a hot attraction to many visitors.

On Monday, The Royal Gazette spotted two young Canadian women enjoying an early morning dip at Horseshoe Bay, where water temperatures reached 70 degrees.

"Where we come from the weather is freezing. The water here isn't cold at all,'' laughed one, adding: "We will be back.'' A balmy experience for the pair, it seems...plain barmy to bemused Bermudians passing by! "They are obviously two hardy perennials,'' joked Mr. Nelis.

The normal average temperature for December is a low of 62, and a high of 70.

Mr. Nelis blames the current cold snap on a pool of air which settled Midwest of the United States and eastern Canada.

He explained northwesterly winds sucked the pool of air into the path of Bermuda.

While the cold air had been warmed by the waters off the Island, Bermudians still suffered the effects.

So much so, that the wind chill factor on Monday dropped to 50.

"Today it was a struggle just to reach a high of 62 degrees,'' said Mr.

Nelis.

For those keen on statistics, Bermuda has shivered a lot more in previous winters.

The lowest recorded temperature for December is 50 in 1962, and the record low for any month is 44 -- in February 1950.

In recent years Bermuda has shh...shh...ivered in temperatures of: 55 degrees, December 1991, when a cold front lingered off the Island; 51 degrees, February 1992. Wind-chilled temperatures also dipped into the low 40s, and on one night into the 30s; 50 degrees, February 1993. High winds sent the wind chill factor down to 37 degrees, just five above freezing.

57 degrees, February 1995.

Among those hoping for the big chill to ease before the New Year are Bermuda's hoteliers.

Under the Tourism Department's temperature guarantee scheme, participating hotels must lower guests' bills if the temperature fails to hit 68 degrees from January to March.