Shropshire Star

Another big freeze? Region braced for ice-cold winter

Grab your coats – we could be in line for the coldest winter in eight years.

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Could we be in for another big freeze?

If forecasters are top be believed, icy winds from Siberia are set to sweep in this month, leading to instant cold-snaps and possible heavy snowfall.

Long-term forecasts are notoriously difficult to make – and our region has so far been unseasonably mild after one of the hottest summers on record.

But experts say everything points to a winter that could potentially rival or even surpass the last one we experienced, complete with a new ‘Beast from the East’.

The Star recently revealed how Highways England had stockpiled 3,000 tons of salt in preparation for the winter. Gritters have already been out ensuring our A-roads and motorways are in a fit state and officials from the road network organisation keep a constant eye on forecasts.

Harsh

Today the warning of a harsh winter came from Midland meteorologist Piers Corbyn, of Weather Action, who also happens to be the brother of Labour leader Jeremy.

He said it was quite possible that this winter would be the coldest since 2010, adding that December was likely to be marked by wild fluctuations between extreme weather conditions.

Mr Corbyn, who with his brother grew up in Pave Lane, near Newport, said the open nature of areas like Shropshire and Staffordshire meant the region was likely to receive significant snowfall.

“There will be some quite extreme weather in December, with a number of very cold snaps and heavy snow in a lot of places,” said Mr Corbyn.

“It’s going to be colder than a normal December, this will be caused by some wild jet streams.

“When you have low sunspots, you get bursts of solar activity in the middle of the sunspots, and these can cause the jet streams to jump around.

“This means you will have times when some places get very heavy snow, while other areas will be mild.”

In 2010, there were warnings that deliveries of Christmas toys could be delayed at the ports as Britain was gripped by the coldest December since records began. Many roads across Shropshire and Mid Wales became impassable as the nation shivered in average temperatures of -1C (30.2F).

Plunge

Then, despite having increased its stocks by 60 per cent, councils including Telford & Wrekin were forced to water down its grit supplies to make them go further.

Forecasters have predicted that in some areas temperatures could this month plunge as low as -10C (14F).

Bookmakers have also cut the odds of a white Christmas to just 5-4.

Eleanor Bell, meteorologist for the Weather Company, said: “We expect this winter to be different to the past seven milder winters we have had, with an increased risk of colder intrusions across the northern half of Europe and below-normal temperatures January and February.

The Met Office and Cabinet Office have issued a notice warning of a ‘severe winter’.

Cabinet Office minister Oliver Dowden said: “Our public services and emergency responders continue to prepare for severe weather, but everyone can take simple actions to prepare themselves and support their friends and neighbours.”

Meanwhile, Bonnie Diamond of the Met Office said the weather today and tomorrow was expected to be generally unsettled, with rain and mild temperatures in the south, and some brighter, colder, more showery weather affecting the north.

“Gales are possible in places,” she said. “Some frost is expected in the north, and the Scottish mountains could have some snow. The rest of the period is likely to see a more changeable pattern becoming established, with some longer spells of dry, albeit colder weather developing.

“The second half of December looks most likely to see a return to generally more unsettled weather. Spells of rain and strong winds are set to spread across the British Isles from the west, although remaining most active across western and north-western areas.”