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Forecasters Fear 'Beast From The East' Could Return This Winter

Forecasters Fear 'Beast From The East' Could Return This Winter

As if we weren't already looking forward to the endless months of cold, dark misery that lie ahead...

Jake Massey

Jake Massey

You may have noticed recently that August ended, which in turn means that summer is over. This also means it's October in a few weeks, which means the clocks go back, which means eternal darkness and gloom is just around the corner.

Better still, it looks like this winter could be a particularly bleak one, with forecasters fearing a return of the 'Beast from the East' that was so much fun in late February and early March of 2018.

Some scientists reckon the 'Beast from the East' may return... this time from the West.
PA

The grim projection has been made by a team of scientists at University College London, who have analysed sea temperatures and air pressures over the north Atlantic in a bid to make a super long-range forecast for January and February of 2020.

Their findings indicate that the jet stream - which pushes weather systems across the Atlantic and towards the UK - will push freezing air in our direction for several weeks during the first months of next year.

According to The Times, their paper said: "This would rank the 2020 January-February central England temperature as the coldest winter since 2013. It would also rank January-February 2020 as the seventh coldest winter in the past 30 years."

So it could be bad news for the Midlands, if Mark Saunders, professor of climate change, and his team are to be believed. Although it sounds more like a Beast from the West in truth, which doesn't really have the same ring to it... Pest from the West, perhaps?

Who's looking forward to winter?
PA

However, given that the forecast is so long range, it's not surprising that the boffins behind the claim aren't that confident in their predication.

"There is a 57 percent chance the central England temperature will be colder than in 2018, thus making it the coldest January-February since 2013," the paper said.

The paper does suggest that a long range forecast such as this shouldn't be scoffed at, though, as the team argue that measuring changes in pressure and sunlight across the north Atlantic can enable scientists to make accurate weather predictions months in advance.

But if you'd rather not think ahead till winter just yet, then you could seek solace in the fact some forecasters reckon we'll have an 'Indian summer' before then.

According to The Mirror, Brian Gaze, forecaster at Weather Outlook, said: "Computer forecast models support the three-month period ahead being among the warmest on record.

"Indian summer-like settled and sunny weather is forecast to start in a week's time, lasting a week or more and seeing highs up to 26C.

"High pressure is expected to bring a southerly feed, with heat arriving from southern Europe and north Africa.

"The pattern of Saharan heat coming to the UK was big feature of summer this year, and is expected to repeat again."

Make the most of it while it lasts, folks.

Featured Image Credit: PA

Topics: Weather, uk news