Suffolk weather: Beast from the East causing event 'likely'

The Met Office has warned that a major Sudden Stratospheric Warming (SSW) may occur in late February or early March.

In 2018, a major SSW brought the Beast from the East to Suffolk which saw hundreds of schools closed, rare thundersnow hit Lowestoft and public transport ground to a halt.

The Met Office has said: “The latest forecasts are showing that a major SSW is now likely to take place.

“The recent minor SSW weakened the Stratospheric Polar Vortex and it’s now likely to collapse and reverse in the middle of February.”

The forecaster explained: “A major SSW often makes the jet stream meander more, which can lead to a large area of blocking high pressure over northern Europe, including the UK.

“This blocking high pressure can lead to cold, dry weather in the north of Europe, including the UK, with mild, wet and windy conditions more likely for southern areas of the continent."

The head of long-range forecasting at the Met Office, Adam Scaife, warned there is an 80% chance of a major SSW occurring but said "the impact will become clearer nearer the time".

Although, the Met Office has stressed that the occurrence of an SSW does not always equate to a Beast from the East type scenario.

In 2019, a major SSW did occur but with little impact on the weather. 

A long-form weather forecast from AccuWeather shows average high temperatures of 10C in Suffolk towards the end of February, with lows of 0C and no signs of snow.

The Met Office added: "We will be updating forecasts with a close view in late February and early March as the SSW unfolds."