Warnings of another Beast from the East

Scots have been warned to brace themselves for deep freeze temperatures of minus 10C (14F) as weathermen report a re-run of the conditions responsible for “The Beast from the East”.

The Met Office say that Scotland could be on the receiving end of snow and severe frosts as early as Wednesday.

And the deep freeze will last into February.

It is not certain that we will suffer the same volume of snow as last February and March, but extremely cold conditions will grip the country into next month.

The only uncertainty is whether the wind will be coming from the Arctic or Siberia, meaning icy wind from either a northerly or easterly direction.

Where snow lies, forecasters say double digit temperatures below freezing can be expected,

Last February’s “Beast from the East” was caused by a rare weather event called a “sudden stratospheric warming” (SSW ). Temperatures high up in the atmosphere can rise a staggering 50C in a day.

It has now been confirmed that not only has another SSW event taken place 30km above the North Pole, but also its effects are now tumbling down the stratosphere towards us.

Met Office deputy chief meteorologist Martin Young said: “The latest forecast suggests the highest risk of any severe wintry weather is from late January and into February. Whether cold spells will be brought about by Arctic air arriving from the north or easterly flows arriving from the continent remains uncertain.”