Rare weather phenomenon that led to ‘Beast from the East’ returning to UK this winter after Arctic freeze
Why the Beast from the East could return to the UK this winter
- The Met Office announced that "winter has arrived early across the UK," bringing cold Arctic air, ice, and snow warnings this week.
- Temperatures are expected to rise this weekend with milder, Atlantic-driven weather moving in, bringing cloud, rain, and winds.
- A Sudden Stratospheric Warming (SSW) event is anticipated in the coming week, which could lead to colder weather returning to the UK in the next two weeks.
- An SSW involves a rapid temperature increase in the stratosphere above the North Pole, increasing the likelihood of colder UK weather by approximately 70 per cent 10 to 14 days later.
- This weather phenomenon was responsible for the "Beast from the East" in 2018, which brought severe cold and heavy snowfall to Great Britain and Ireland.