Met Office issues polar vortex warning as 'largest El Nino in living memory' threatens winter of snow and storms

Met Office issues polar vortex warning as 'largest El Nino in living memory' threatens winter of snow and storms The Met Office has weighed in on whether this year's El Niño - which could be 'unprecedented' and the 'largest in living memory' - will tigger a polar vortex and send Britain into a deep freeze Snow and bitterly cold temperatures could soon hit the UK as the Met Office weighs in on whether this year's El Niño might trigger a polar vortex. El Niño could be the "largest in living memory" and an "unprecedented event," the Met Office warned, potentially unleashing cold snaps, heavy snow, and storms across the country. It's also feared the weather phenomenon could destabilise the polar vortex, potentially sending Britain into a deep freeze. Forecasters have already warned that El Niño - the sudden warming of sea surface temperatures - could disrupt the huge, high-altitude ring of swirling cold winds above the Arctic known as the stratospheric polar vortex. This leads to a weakened jet stream, sending severe, freezing Arctic air into North America and Europe. But according to the Met Office, a polar vortex-driven cold snap or snow remains unlikely this autumn, with freezing temperatures more likely to hit later on during winter. A spokesperson said: "Through the latter part of the winter, following a peak in El Niño, the stratospheric Polar Vortex can become weaker, leading to an increased chance of Sudden Stratospheric Warming (SSW) events unfurling, increasing the potential for cold weather." The forecaster said "it was too far away to give any forecast information" about how this might affect the UK and it remains "just one possible outcome dependent on many competing factors". Professor Adam Scaife, head of long-range predictions, said: "We have been signalling for months that the developing El Niño will be an unprecedented event. "The fact that it has already exceeded previous records – with several weeks to go before it peaks later this year – shows the enormity of this El Niño. "Scientists are still assessing whether the impacts will be in proportion to its magnitude, but we are already seeing expected effects worldwide." This year's "super El Niño" has already shattered global records to become the most powerful event in history. The naturally occurring climate pattern develops in the Pacific Ocean when sea surface temperatures become much warmer than average, impacting weather conditions across the globe, with its effects often peaking around December. El Niño can lead to significant human impacts affecting things such as infrastructure, agriculture, health and energy sectors, the Met Office warned. In the coming months, it is likely to cause "wetter and stormier conditions" that could trigger flooding and develop into "cold snaps" over the winter period.