Beast from the East to roar again

THESE hardy New Year dippers may not be so shore about getting back in the nippy North Sea any time soon: the Beast from the East is returning.

- Paul Jeeves

An Arctic blast gripped the country as 2021 began but forecasters fear worse is on the way, with a sub-zero Siberian onslaught set to keep the UK shivering through the early part of this month.

Bitterly cold winds are due to roar their way in, sending temperatures plunging to -10C.

The extreme weather warning comes as atmospheric conditions which led to the Beast from the East ravaging Britain in February 2018 form a similar pattern again.

Heavy snow blanketed much of the country two years ago, causing travel chaos and closing schools. The falls came in the wake of a sudden stratospheric warming (SSW), which causes colder air from the East to be sucked over the UK.

Now weather experts believe another SSW is possible next week – and that could trigger even lower temperatures later in the month.

High pressure over Greenland will keep milder Atlantic conditions at bay, while funnelling in polar air from Russia and the Baltic region.

Jim Dale, meteorologist for British Weather Services, said: “The Beast is getting closer and at the moment it is stretching its claws across from the East towards Britain.