Met Office issues alert over ‘extremely rare’ phenomenon set to cause ‘new Beast from the East’

The weather event only occurs once every 250 years

Exacta Weather forecaster James Madden said a phenomenon known as sudden stratospheric warming (SSW) is under way, which has the potential to bring "more meaningful cold/snow from March", BirminghamLive reports.

He said: "To date we haven't really seen a sustained easterly developing this winter and the approach has been more from the north during the cold and snowy periods. In essence, the cold just hasn't been able to dig in deep enough from these to bring in parts farther south for snow.

"However, this particular sudden stratospheric warming (SSW) is really going for it this time around in terms of obliterating the polar vortex and almost every output and scenario reviewed for afterwards, places us in a strong blocking pattern over some sustained periods from late February and in March/early April.

In its forecast for March 11 to March 20, the Met Office said: "A gradual change in the weather will take place early next week as drier, brighter weather and lighter winds slowly filter in from the west, replacing the fairly persistent cloud and showers affecting the east.

"This is likely to last until at least mid-next week, before further Atlantic cloud, wind and spells of rain begin to threaten once again. Settled conditions could persist for much of next week, but it is most likely that rain will become more extensive again from mid- to late-next week onwards.

"Thereafter, the most likely scenario is that 'south-shifted' Atlantic weather systems will dominate, bringing periods of mild, cloudy and wet weather across many southern and eastern areas in particular, whilst northwestern areas stay more settled. Temperatures overall are likely to be around average."

In a new update, Met Office official Professor Adam Scaife explained more about the phenomena that could occur.

"Although we have not seen it before, we recently documented the chances of an unprecedented three SSW events happening in one winter," he said, via Metro.

"Our research work, using multiple computer simulations, showed that this could occur about once in every 250 winters."

Scaife added: "Although this is very rare, we also found that the chance of multiple SSW events is increased… and so the chance of multiple events this winter is raised."

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