Weather models are predicting the exact date ‘Beast from the East’ 2.0 could hit Ireland.
The cold snap brought on by a sudden stratospheric warming (SSW) event is now "looking likely" however, the details are still "very uncertain".
Long-range weather maps, which are subject to change this far out, show Ireland engulfed by a bitterly cold Arctic blast from Sunday, March 5.
READ MORE: Ireland ‘Beast from the East’ update as maps show moment brutal cold snap hits
However, there is still no sign of snow as current weather models show "colder and dry weather" for a few days but predictions are very uncertain beyond Wednesday, March 8.
Irish weather expert Alan O’Reilly posted a series of updates on his popular Carlow Weather social media accounts, writing: “March of many weathers could certainly live up to its name with more support for a cold snap next week on charts rolling out. Still subject to change and details uncertain but cold looking likely.
"Very good support for colder and still mainly dry weather from Sunday for a few days but very uncertain beyond Wednesday. Could be a short cold snap or could last longer."
Meteorologists are monitoring a sudden stratospheric warming (SSW) event, which is now ongoing.
The phenomenon, which is common in winter months, can lead to cold, dry weather coming into the north of Europe and across Ireland. However, how it will impact Ireland’s weather is currently uncertain.
In 2018, it was an SSW event that caused the ‘Beast from the East’ that left Ireland covered in deep snow - while the following year, there was another SSW event that had little impact on Ireland’s weather.
It comes after Met Eireann issued an update on the SSW. It said: “A Sudden Stratospheric Warming (SSW) is on-going, which adds a high degree of uncertainty to the overall forecast. Given that caveat, the overall signal from the seasonal models for Ireland during spring (March, April, May), is for slightly above average temperatures with average rainfall. March, and possibly the beginning of April, are likely to be cooler and drier than average, with a transition to warmer and wetter conditions for May.”
Meanwhile, the UK’s Met Office published a blog post earlier this month and issued a weather alert.
It said: “The latest forecasts are showing that a major SSW is now likely to take place. The recent minor SSW weakened the SPV and it’s now likely to collapse and reverse in the middle of February.
“A major SSW often makes the jet stream meander more, which can lead to a large area of blocking high pressure over northern Europe, including the UK [and Ireland]. This blocking high pressure can lead to cold, dry weather in the north of Europe, including the UK [and Ireland], with mild, wet and windy conditions more likely for southern areas of the continent. However, this is not always the case and impacts on UK weather can also be benign when an SSW occurs.”
Prof Adam Scaife, head of long-range forecasting, also pinpointed late February and March as the exact date Ireland would see any impacts from a SSW. He said: “There is now over 80% chance of a major SSW occurring. Although the impact will become clearer nearer the time, any effect on UK [and Ireland] weather is most likely to occur in late February and March.”
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