Brief
El Niño reaches record strength, UK snow unlikely this winter
The BBC notes the unprecedented El Niño may affect the polar vortex but predicts no major snowfall for the UK.
By Felo News Desk · Published
The BBC reports that the El Niño currently developing in the Pacific Ocean is, by some measures, the strongest on record. It explains that the heat released by the warm ocean can increase wet and stormy weather in the UK during autumn and may later disrupt the polar vortex, raising the odds of ice and snow in late winter. However, the outlet adds that the scientific links are unclear and evidence is mixed. It cites past winters – the cold 2009/2010 season that coincided with an El Niño, the warm 2006/2007 El Niño winter, and the 2018 "Beast from the East" which occurred during a La Niña year – to illustrate the uncertainty. Current forecasts suggest no significant cold or snow is likely in the near future.
Key facts
- The current El Niño is described as the strongest on record by some measures. (bbc.co.uk)
- El Niño can increase the chance of wet and stormy weather in the UK in autumn. (bbc.co.uk)
- Forecasts indicate little likelihood of significant snow in the UK this winter. (bbc.co.uk)
Sources
- [1] bbc.co.uk — originally reported as “Will El Niño and the polar vortex bring snow to the UK this winter?”
