The Met Office has warned a sudden stratospheric warming effect could bring a cold snap to the UK on the back of the polar-vortex collapse in North America.
The extreme weather event has been forecast to develop over parts of Canada and the US from mid-March and, while it won’t be as severe, it could also come to Europe.
A polar-vortex collapse occurs when a layer in the stratosphere, above the Earth's surface, experiences a sudden warming of up to 50°C in less than two days. This phenomenon disrupts the polar vortex, a system of cold, low-pressure air near the North Pole, causing it to weaken or split. As a result, icy Arctic air is displaced and can enter the jet stream, travelling southward, often leading to extreme cold weather.
Snow, ice, cold wind and freezing temperatures are set to bring widespread disruption in the coming days.
The Met Office has said this sudden stratospheric event could have a knock-on effect for Europe. Meteorologist Jonathan Vautrey told the Standard that, although a further named event to follow Storm Éowyn is unlikely, there could be a “cold snap” on the way.
“We are beginning to see this cold snap developing,” he said. “[But] a cold snap in March is not going to be as [harsh as in February].
“The cold air will be beginning to warm up and we might not get the same impact. And not all warming events bring severe weather with them.”
He said that the Beast from the East storm, which brought Britain to a halt in February and March 2018, is an example of a sudden stratospheric warming effect.
“We have had other sudden stratospheric warming effects in the years since then,” he continued. “But we have not had the same [severe] thing happen.
“There is a chance a cold snap could arise but, at this stage, it is just a signal as the forecast is too far away [for the end of March].”
He added: “We will keep people updated about what’s happening.”
