How a 'sudden stratospheric warming' event may bring snow and ice
Updated / Thursday, 4 Feb 2021
09:25
The last time Ireland had to deal with the results of a 'sudden stratospheric warming' event was in March 2018
Analysis: will this extreme climate phenomenon predicted for next week mean the return of the Beast from the East?
A "sudden stratospheric warming" event took place in early January 2021. These events are some of the most extreme of atmospheric phenomena, and I study them as part of my academic research. The stratosphere is the layer of the atmosphere from around 10km to 50km above the Earth's surface, and sudden warming up there can lead to very cold weather over Europe and Siberia, with an increased possibility of snow storms.