UK could be hit by new 'Beast-from-the-East', forecasters warn
Rising energy demand and travel chaos could be on the horizon as forecasters warn the UK may soon be plunged into sub-zero temperatures in a repeat of last year’s ‘Beast-from-the-East’.
Conditions similar to those that spawned last year’s winter storm were observed at the start of the month with a sudden stratospheric warming in the Arctic bringing a sharp increase in temperatures, which can lead to a rush of colder air blowing eastwards across Europe.
This therefore increases chances of colder weather “a couple of weeks” after stratospheric warming starts, according to the Met Office, and so the forecaster is predicting a higher probability of colder weather and an enhanced risk of frost, fog and snow for the end of January.
However, Met Office spokesperson Grahame Madge said that, while the possibility of Britain experiencing a cold snap later in the month could not be ruled out, conditions and temperatures forecast for over the next week appear stable and above average for this time of year.
“There have been some parts of Europe that have experienced quite significant cold, heavier-than-average snow in countries like Austria and in northern and central Europe. It is possible we could still see this turn to a more easterly flow but if anything it looks as though we are in stable weather conditions,” said Madge.
While any colder snap is likely to boost energy usage, Elchin Mammadov, analyst at Bloomberg Intelligence, said it was unlikely that any hike in prices would hit levels seen last year due to ample volumes of gas in storage.
Energy companies have taken advantage of a mild autumn to rebuild inventories that had fallen below their five-year average over the summer months.
But Giacomo Masato, an analyst and meteorologist at Marex Spectron Group, said: "Much will depend on the extent and magnitude of the cold phase. If one between ‘persistence' and ‘very cold' is met, energy prices will definitely react regardless of how good supply is."