The Met Office anticipates “a gradual trend towards colder” conditions and others forecasters have noted the impact of three Sudden Stratospheric Warmings (SSW) in the coming weeks
Snow and piercing temperatures are set to blight the UK’s bitterly cold winter – because of repeated disruptions to the polar vortex.
It is thought there will be at least three Sudden Stratospheric Warmings (SSW), the first of which it is understood will happen in mid-November. When these happen, cold air tends to move southwards and send temperatures plunging, and increase the chances of snow.
And it reinforces the Mirror’s report this week that weather maps are set to turn icy blue as the mercury tumbles. Daytime lows of 2C are expected in Aberdeenshire next week, meteorologists say.
A forecaster for Exacta Weather said: “At least three cold and snowy periods are on the cards regardless of any earlier SSW occurrences, maybe even more if the ones of moderate confidence also come to fruition and the SSW event does occur.”
When SSWs are likely to happen, meteorologists say they have “high confidence” that “colder conditions and widespread snow events” will occur. SSWs disrupt the polar vortex, and as a result low pressure moves south from the Arctic.
In its long-range forecast, the Met Office says Brits should prepare for “a gradual trend towards colder” by mid-November, which is around the time Exacta Weather believes the first of the three SSWs will arrive.
The most severe of the three SSWs will happen in January and February, early indications suggest. Temperatures are typically colder in these months in the UK, so 2025 is set to follow a usual pattern, Exacta Weather understands.
As usual with the winter period, other conditions, such as rain, are forecast too. The Exacta Weather forecaster added: “It is also important to note that we do also have some other forecast expectations to start winter at times this year, and it would be unfair to paint a predominant theme of this cold and snow throughout the month as a whole.”
But before the Arctic blast arrives, temperatures are set to be balmy across the UK. The mercury peaked at 18.3C on Monday in Swanage, Dorset, and 16.8C in Aberporth, south Wales, according to figures released by the Met Office.
