Snow set to fall in UK tomorrow as Met Office updates on 'Beast from the East' fears
Don't be fooled by the marginally warmer weather - spring's not around the corner just yet.
In fact, weather charts suggest there's up to 90 percent chance of snowfall in parts of the UK from tomorrow (23 February), news which arrives after the Met Office gave an update on 'Beast from the East' concerns.
We already knew the cold snap was on the way, but now we've got a slightly clearer picture on just what to expect in the coming days and weeks.
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According to the Mirror, WXCharts have indicated a likelihood that snow will arrive over the next couple of days, with a 45 to 80 percent chance in northern areas of England and a 90 percent chance in Scotland.
The south is less likely to be affected, with just a 20 percent chance of snowfall in certain regions.
On Saturday, 25 February, this figure jumps up to over 50 percent in parts of the south east, and 85 percent in northern areas.
But it's early March we may really need to wrap up warm, as the UK is set to face the repercussions of a polar event known as a Sudden Stratospheric Warming (SSW).
An SSW was actually responsible for the infamous 'Beast from the East' storm from 2018, which saw as much as 22 inches of snow in some places and 17 fatalities.
But there's no need to panic just yet, as there's no certainty that another big freeze will definitely hit the UK next month.
Met Office forecaster Alex Deakin spoke with the Mirror to provide little more clarity on the situation while explaining what happens in an SSW event.
"Southern Stratospheric Warming is linked to the winds high up in the air, in the atmosphere, in the stratosphere above the North Pole, which most of the year go around in a westerly direction," he said.
"Every now and again, every couple of years those winds flip direction, and that’s what’s happened, it happened last week.
"Colder weather is more likely - that is what SSW does, it increases the chances of those slow moving weather patterns and increases the chances of high pressure close to the UK.
"It doesn’t always mean colder weather but it does increase the chances, and it doesn’t definitely mean we are going to see some widespread problems from the colder weather."
Unfortunately there are no definite estimations as to just how cold it could get, and whether we'll be getting 'Beast from the East 2', as we're still some time away from those dates.
Deakin added: "The position of the high will be absolutely crucial as to whether we tap into really cold air or whether we just stay a little bit colder than average."
Here's hoping it's the latter - spring can't come soon enough.
Daisy Phillipson