Temperatures to plunge again in Britain
January 25th, 2011 - 7:32 pm ICT by IANSLondon, Jan 25 (IANS) Winter is all set to make a dramatic comeback in Britain with temperatures expected to plunge in March through mid-April, forecasters said.US firm Weather Services International (WSI) had earlier forecast the big freeze of 2009-2010 as well as the recent pre-Christmas arctic conditions.
It says that while most of Britain will be mild for much of February, winter will make a chilly comeback in March and last through into April, according to the Daily Express.
The key factor is a change in the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO), the atmospheric pressure phenomenon which blocked milder weather from reaching Britain before Christmas.
This left Britain prey to a stream of cold from the Arctic, before the NAO changed bringing higher temperatures just before Christmas.
December turned out to be the coldest with temperatures sinking as low as minus 21.1 degrees Celsius in some parts of the country. Many places were brought to a standstill for days by heavy snowfall.
WSI chief meteorologist Todd Crawford said: “We think that this more atmospherically relaxed pattern will persist well into February, confining any below-normal temperatures to northern regions.”
“At some point later in February or early March, we do expect a return to more strongly negative NAO conditions. At that point, we expect a return to more severe and widespread below-normal temperatures across much of Europe, lasting well into spring.”
The WSI, which provides forecasts for many top US corporations, bases its forecasts on meteorological readings from around the world plus a comparison with similar weather patterns in the past.
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- Worst of winter over in Britain - Dec 29, 2010
- Freak diversion of jet stream propels freezing conditions - Dec 23, 2010
- It's official: It was the coldest December in Britain in 120 years - Jan 01, 2011
- Tropical Depression Seven forms in the eastern Atlantic, set to become hurricane - Aug 25, 2010
- Srinagar minimum temperature rises, snowfall likely in valley - Jan 13, 2011
- Britain set for balmy temperatures - Feb 20, 2012
- Britain braces for cold again - Mar 03, 2012
- La Nina may trigger flu pandemics: Study - Jan 17, 2012
- Arctic blast all set to hit Britain - Oct 18, 2010
- Deep freeze threatens Britain - Feb 03, 2012
- Slight respite from chill in Kashmir, snowfall likely - Jan 12, 2011
- Cloudy morning in Delhi, thundershowers ahead - Mar 04, 2011
- Heavy fog delays flights at IGI (Second Lead) - Dec 25, 2010
- Sunny day brings respite for north India, but chill persists (Roundup) - Jan 13, 2011
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