Met Office gives update on when new 'Beast from the East' could hit

The Met Office has given an update on when a new 'Beast from the East' could hit the UK.

Forecasters say a sudden stratospheric warming (SSW), which could lead to another 'Beast from the East', is underway but the impact will not be felt until the first week of March.

A sudden stratospheric warming is when a rapid warming occurs high up in the stratosphere - the second layer of the atmosphere immediately above the troposphere. It is often thought to lead to widespread snow and cold temperatures, but that's not always the case.

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Met office forecaster Aidan McGivern said: "We are seeing a major Sudden Stratospheric Warming taking place above the North Pole and what that means is that the winds in the stratosphere surrounding the North Pole are expected to reverse, instead of going from west to east they are going to go from east to west.

"That can have a drag effect on the jet stream which can slow the jet stream down which can in turn lead to higher pressure at the surface, a blocking area of high pressure, blocking wind and rain from the Atlantic and sometimes leading to colder conditions. That’s why Sudden Stratospheric Warmings increase the chance of cold weather.

"Not immediately, though, although this is taking place right now, there is a lag effect so we are not expecting an impact if any to take place until the first week of March."

Mr McGivern said that while there will be a high pressure at the start of March there is no indication yet that it will be particularly cold, the Mirror reports.

"So what can we say about the potential impact, remember there are a lot of ifs, buts and maybes here because although