Weather experts respond to 'Beast from the East' claims amid fears of superstorm in days
Weather experts have responded to claims that a second 'Beast from the East' could form in the UK in a matter of days. Meteorological pros warned an event similar to the one that triggered 2018's super storm could be on the horizon.
A sudden stratospheric warming (SSW), which leads to the breakdown or reversal of the polar vortex, resulted in heavy snowfall across Scotland seven years ago.
The rare occurrence led to a red weather warning being issued and brought the country to a halt. Now, specialists at Netweather are predicting a likely SSW in early March, although it can take several weeks for its effects to be felt.
READ MORE: Language experts name 'distinctive' Scottish regional accent the world's hardest to master
READ MORE: Pensioners born before 1959 have five week spending deadline or risk State Pension loss
In a recent update, Netweather's Ian Simpson revealed that the 42-day forecast "has high pressure and southerly and south-westerly winds being dominant for a large part of March".
He added: "However, a potential 'spanner in the works' is the likelihood of a sudden stratospheric warming event during the first half of March. However, it does increase the likelihood of colder outbreaks affecting Britain."
The Met Office has now waded in with its long range forecast which paints a slightly different picture to that outlined by Netweather.
From Friday, March 7 - Sunday, March 16, the weather service predicts warm and mild temperatures with sunny spells, but does warn that conditions will be "fairly changeable" with a chance of showers or longer spells of rain.
High pressure will be "dominant" from the north, meaning "a good deal of dry weather but also a downturn in temperatures... with an increasing chance of milder but more unsettled conditions developing again."
To take us up to the end of the month, from Monday, March 17 - Monday, March 31, the Met Office say there is "likely to be a mixture of unsettled and settled spells but it is unclear which will be more dominant." Some colder spells remain possible during late March, the national foreceaster added.
Are you hoping for more sunshine this week? Or will you see cloud and rain?
Here's an overview of the weather for the week ahead pic.twitter.com/7OJsVVp28E— Met Office (@metoffice) March 2, 2025
Meanwhile, James Madden at Exacta Weather foresees "wintry and more unsettled weather in the north from March 10," warning "the overall extent of this could intensify quite significantly somewhat between now and then".
On the risk of the white stuff, James explained: "High pressure will continue to persist across southern areas through this upcoming week, keeping things largely settled and with some mild to very mild temperatures for many...
"Our report for spring also covered the dates on and around March 7-12 for some kind of wintry blast to develop. Another update emphasises we should expect changes... to this type of weather pattern for around March 10. We will also see a gradual breakdown of these conditions on and around March 10, possibly a little earlier."
Madden added that although the UK can't expect any particularly warm or hot weather over the month, it will "certainly be more settled, with mild temperatures for the start of March, with some quite cold to cold evenings".
WXCharts, which uses Met Desk data, currently shows snow moving into some parts of Scotland, namely the south and north east, on Wednesday, March 12, pertaining to the "wintry blast" Madden mentions.
By evening, it has cleared off, but large swathes of purple - representing snow - return on Tuesday, March 18. The Northern Isles and Highlands take the hit first, before the rest of the country looks to be covered for at least a day.
The charts do not show any snow predictions past March 18. In any case, Simpson made clear that an SSW "doesn't necessarily guarantee colder weather for Britain," as it "can pull in very warm air masses".
He explained: "Many sudden stratospheric warming events generate outcomes somewhere in between, often on the cold side but not necessarily particularly snowy.
"Historically, March and early April has often been a time of year when snow is relatively common, although it has typically melted quickly when the sun comes out during the daytime.
"In recent decades, there has been some shortening of the snow season, and some weather patterns that used to bring snow in early spring have become more likely to deliver sleet or cold rain for most of us."
