Remember the Beast from the East - when we were all panicking about having a loaf of bread...
Well, the phenomenon which caused it - is happening again.
Weather models forecasting an increased risk of SSW (Sudden Stratospheric Warming) around the middle of the month. Any possible impacts on our weather are uncertain but if we do see an impact it would likely be into March. pic.twitter.com/5bvQchonv2
— Carlow Weather (@CarlowWeather) February 7, 2023
Meteorologists are monitoring the sudden stratospheric warming event.
The latest forecasts are showing that a major Sudden Stratospheric Warming (SSW) is likely to take place. This can lead to cold, dry weather coming into the north of Europe and UK.
Read the full story in our latest blog post.
— Met Office (@metoffice) February 7, 2023
SSWs have increased in frequency in recent years, but don't always result in extremely cold conditions.
Alan O'Reilly from Carlow Weather says the impact can vary:
"They've always been around, but the frequency of them in the last five years has increased.
"But it does go through kind of different patterns and really there's, while there's a lot of research going into certain such warming events, there's still not a huge amount of research.
"So it's hard to go back and look at the history of them.
"But what we do know is that each one is different, and the impact from each one is different."
