SSW phenomenon is linked to polar vortex, an area of low pressure across the North Pole
Photograph: Miguel Lo Bianco/ReutersPhotograph: Miguel Lo Bianco/ReutersThere has been keen interest over recent weeks in the much-anticipated sudden stratospheric warming event, which only began this week but is now well under way. The SSW phenomenon is linked to the polar vortex, an area of low pressure across the North Pole that forms within the stratosphere during autumn, as temperatures plummet in the absence of solar radiation.
SSW events are very common and occur two in every three winters. It remains unclear how climate change will affect these events in the future. As the vortex develops during autumn and into winter, westerly stratospheric winds increase in strength. But in the event of a SSW episode, stratospheric temperatures rise rapidly in the space of only a few days, leading to the weakening or even reversal of these winds.
The consequences of this warming will spread slowly into the troposphere and can, over time, disrupt the jet stream that influences our weather on the surface. A weakened jet stream can help in the development of large “blocking” areas of high pressure. Should high pressure build across Scandinavia, it can feed very cold polar air from the east into western Europe and towards the UK.
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