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.