Sudden stratospheric warming (SSW) phenomenon is linked to polar vortex, an area of low pressure across the North Pole. Meanwhile, Argentina has been gripped by a heatwave.
There has been keen interest over recent weeks in the much-anticipated sudden stratospheric warming (SSW) 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.
[...]
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. However, it is important to note that not all SSW events are the same, and not all will lead to cold conditions in Europe. The eventual effects of such SSW events are not usually experienced until two to three weeks after they begin.
Meanwhile, intense heat affected large parts of Argentina during the first half of February, in what was the country’s eighth heatwave this summer. This followed the warmest November to January period since 1961, with the National Meteorological Service of Argentina reporting that average temperatures were 1.7C higher than normal.