IS another Beast from the East on the way?

A Dorset-based weather enthusiast said while nothing can be ruled out, a full-blown Beast from the East is “unlikely”.

It comes amid national headlines suggesting a major snow event will occur in February after some computer models predicted a rapid warming in the upper atmosphere, known as Sudden Stratospheric Warming (SSW).

Bournemouth & Poole Weather said: “It was this phenomenon that delivered the Beast from the East in late winter 2018.

“However even when this happens it still has to propagate out in the right place to deliver extreme cold for the UK.

“So, at the moment while nothing can ever be ruled out I think a full blown Beast from the East falls comfortably into the unlikely category.”

UK Extreme Weather said currently “there is no sign” of it occurring.

They added: “It’s pure unfounded speculation.

“There’s talk of a sudden stratospheric warming (SSW) event toward the turn of the month, which can lead to blocking weather patterns and colder weather at mid latitudes such as northern Europe, but this hasn’t happened yet, so any effects on our weather should there be SSW would not be known for some time yet.

“No Beast from the East expected for now.”