Anyone who has been following recent weather forecasts will likely have heard talk of the Polar Vortex, bringing with it speculation that another 'Beast from the East' could be on its way.
While the Polar Vortex is not a new phenomenon, it has become more talked about in recent years since it was connected to the freezing temperatures and heavy snowfall of 2018. There is currently a weather event linked to the Polar Vortex known as a Sudden Stratospheric Warming underway, which was linked to the Beast from the East at the time.
In other years, however, similar events have had little impact, so this does not necessarily mean we are set to be hit by another Beast. Here's what the Met Office has said about the current weather conditions and what they are likely to mean for the UK and the North East in the coming weeks.
