Will the Polar Vortex collapse affect the UK? As US prepares for big freeze
An extreme weather event known as a 'polar vortex collapse' is predicted to sweep North America over the next two weeks.
Expected to develop in mid-March, parts of Canada and the United States are preparing for plummeting temperatures. The collapse may also affect the UK and parts of Europe.
A polar vortex collapse is an event that occurs when the layer between 10 and 50km above Earth’s surface warms up to 50 degrees in just two days. This scientific phenomenon is known as sudden stratospheric warming (SSW).
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The sudden stratospheric warming weakens the polar vortex (a very large, rotating low-pressure system located near the north or south pole), which causes freezing Arctic air to move southwards.
“We are predicting a displacement of the polar vortex on the Europe and eastern Canada side of the polar,” AccuWeather’s Lead Meteorologist Paul Pastelok told The Independent. “The timing is uncertain for North America but could see a change in the pattern for late March into early April.”
This is the second polar vortex collapse of the year, after a similar weather event last month caused chaos across the US and Canada, when snow, storms, and freezing temperatures swept North America. Freezing air from polar regions may be released into North America or Eurasia during this latest collapse.
A polar vortex is a large area of low pressure and cold air which rotates around the North and South poles of the Earth. The vortex corresponds with the wind 8 to 11 kilometres above Earth’s surface, which is known as the jet stream.
The jet stream becomes less stable when the vortex is weakened, which causes polar air to move southward, leading to unpredictable weather. The jet stream pattern is unlikely to split completely, but a change in the pattern is more likely.
Forecasters in the UK have warned that temperatures could drop yet again for Brits, who may also be affected by this disruption to the polar vortex. Recent weather maps predict a subzero snowfall coming by mid-March, with Scotland set to be impacted.
“SSWs don’t always impact our weather but if they do it can take a few weeks before impacts might be felt on the Earth surface,“ said the Met Office.
They added that the weather event could indicate colder weather for the rest of March. So although it's now spring, it may still be too early to retire your winter wardrobe.
