Polar vortex collapse: UK faces snow and plummeting temperatures due to weather event

The Met Office has revealed that Britain's sunny spell is likely to end, with temperatures plummeting across the country. After a mild start to March, weather experts are now predicting a sudden stratospheric warming (SSW) event, signalling a shift back to frosty winter conditions for Europe, including the UK. Such events can cause the polar vortex to destabilise, allowing the frigid air normally confined to the Arctic to spread further south, bringing snow, ice, and freezing temperatures.

A similar occurrence in mid-February brought prolonged periods of intense cold and heavy snowfall , especially in eastern and northern Scotland. The effects were even more pronounced in the USA and Canada, where winter storms led to fatalities and significant flight disruption. The Met Office has now delivered its assessment on the likelihood of another SSW event, reports the Mirror .



Forecasters at the Met Office are "very confident" about an impending SSW in the middle of the month. A spokesperson stated: "The stratosphere polar vortex is now weakening rapidly. Over the last few days, the forecasts have become very confident and we are almost certain there will be a sudden stratospheric warming in mid-March.

This is when the mid stratospheric wind is predicted to reverse from westerly to easterly." Severe Weather Europe's website cautioned: "This upcoming event in the stratosphere looks stronger than the first one and is forecast to be the final collapse of the polar vortex for this season." However, the Met Office cautioned that not all SSWs are followed by severe weather.

Deputy Chief Meteorologist at the Met Office , Chris Bulmer said: "A frontal zone will move south across the UK during Sunday night and Monday with much colder air following from the north. With these cold northeasterly winds, we are likely to see some wintry showers across the north and the east of the UK next week, but any accumulations of snow are likely to be largely restricted to hills. We’ll also see a return to overnight frosts in many areas.

"While there is uncertainty in the extent of rain and wintry showers through the middle of next week, there is higher confidence that below average temperatures will continue through the week, bringing a very different feel to the mild weather over the weekend.".