Met Office has its say on the sudden stratospheric warming and whether there will be another 'Beast from the East'

The Met Office has had its say on whether people can expect more freezing conditions and snow after speculation that Sudden Stratospheric Warming could lead to another 'Beast from the East' hitting the UK in upcoming weeks. Wales has seen a wintery start to the year with flooding, ice and snow all causing chaos in January.

And as the month draws to a close it looks as though the uncertainty is set to continue, with the Met Office confirming that Sudden Stratospheric Warming (SSW) is underway - albeit a minor one. SSW's are often thought to lead to widespread snow and cold temperatures.

In a detailed blog explaining the weather trend, the forecaster wrote: "The warming is expected to peak towards the end of January. The strong westerly winds high over the Arctic, called the stratospheric polar vortex, have weakened and the vortex is partially collapsing.