UK 'could face freezing winter because of La Niña phenomenon'

La Niña: Weather phenomenon looks set to take hold, bringing a colder-than-average winter to the UK
Oli Scarff/Getty Images

The UK could face a freezing cold winter because of the effects of the La Niña weather phenomenon, according to experts.

Scientists are currently examining conditions in the Pacific and La Niña - a climate pattern that has in past years caused temperatures in Britain to plummet.

When triggered, the phenomenon brings colder weather and heavy rain to northern Europe.

It is characterised by unusually cold ocean temperatures in the Pacific, and is believed to develop when the sea surface temperature falls to below -0.5C.

Met Office forecasters have said the La Niña can have “profound effect” on the Earth’s weather, and said it was to blame for the freezing temperatures the UK saw in 2010.

UK Snow November 2017 - In pictures

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Graham Madge, a Met Office forecaster, warned that this year it could have an impact now it is on the way. But he added it may not have a huge affect.

He told the Standard: “It [the La Niña] can have quite a profound effect on the world’s weather, but that is not always the case. At the moment, it is hard to say what sort of an impact it will have this year. Meteorologists are still very much debating it.

Mr Madge added: “We are not anticipating it having a particularly deep effect, and more traditional weather [conditions] may supersede it. But a colder-than-normal winter is more likely than the reverse, with weather – like La Nina – on its way that favours that.”

Snow flurries on the Strand on Thursday
Alex Lentati

The prediction comes as the chilly spell gripping the capital was set to come to an end by this weekend as temperatures were expected to become milder.

Office workers were delighted on Thursday as parts of London saw the first snowfall of the winter season.

Elsewhere in the UK saw heavier snow as temperatures dropped to -10C in Scotland and -5 in other parts of the country.

La Niña is the opposite of another weather phenomenon of El Niño, which leads to irregular warming of surface waters in the tropical eastern Pacific and then to higher-than-average seasonal temperatures in the UK.

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