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The UK is at “great risk” of being hit by a weather phenomenon that could send the country into a snowy deep freeze, an expert has warned.
According to the Met Office's website, sudden stratospheric warming (SSW) causes the jet stream "to snake", creating an area of "blocking high pressure" over the North Atlantic and Scandinavia. The knock-on effect for the UK is prolonged low temperatures and snow.
Exacta Weather forecaster James Madden said there's a "medium-high risk" of SSW taking hold as early as mid-November – and "an even greater risk" of further SSW events after that.
READ MORE: UK weather maps show exactly where could hit 1C with mass chill just hours away
To find out if you need to put the big coat on or get the BBQ out, click here.
Madden said: “In addition to the potential and currently medium-high risk for an early sudden stratospheric warming (SSW) from in and around mid-November onwards this year, there will also be an even greater risk for further sudden stratospheric warmings to occur throughout January and February 2024 that are likely to be highly influential on our overall weather patterns in terms of snow and cold here in the UK.
"At least one to two of these should occur within the specified dates on the basis of our early long-range forecast projections that we are looking at for this winter. (The sudden stratospheric warming) will form over the North Atlantic and Scandinavia. This means that northern Europe, including the UK is likely to get a long spell of dry, cold weather, whereas southern Europe will tend to be more mild, wet and windy.
“On the boundary of these areas, cold easterly winds develop and in some cases the drop in temperatures leads to snow, which is what happened in early 2018.”
The UK, and most of continental Europe, was hit by both Storm Emma and The Beast From The East in 2018 during an SSW event. The severe snowy weather caused £1.2billion worth of damage and killed 95 people.
The lowest recorded UK temperature of the entire event came in Kent, which reached a chilly -14.2c. Gloucestershire saw 57cm of snow in just one day.
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- Snow
- UK Weather
- Weather Forecast
- Met Office
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