UK households are being urged to keep six essential food items in supply this winter if fears of a freezing cold, snowy season due to the El Niño weather phenomenon come true. Climate experts warn that a polar vortex could bring colder weather and even snow to the UK this winter, as El Niño leads to a colder season.
This week, the Met Office outlined how a weakening polar vortex could push a freezing blast of air down towards the UK and Europe this winter, with snow looking increasingly likely, though not yet confirmed.
El Niño's Role in Weather Patterns
El Niño has been a key driver of hot weather this year, with the warming of the sea's surface having a dramatic knock-on effect on global weather systems, creating much warmer than average weather. It is thought to have been one of the reasons behind the UK's five record-breaking heatwaves this summer.
While nothing is certain yet, the El Niño weather front drives changes in high and low pressure patterns. The strength of a polar vortex—the area of cold air which normally spins over the North and South poles—is vulnerable to disruption from jet streams of air. When disrupted, it can send freezing air, creating a cold snap and snow, into the US and Europe.
Expert Insights on Polar Vortex Disruption
According to USA Today, El Niño can interact with the polar vortex. The outlet reports: "The polar vortex above the Arctic is linked to the jet stream. Both can be impacted by El Niño, and bring about changes in our weather patterns," said Darryn Waugh, a professor in Earth and Planetary Sciences at Johns Hopkins University.
"El Niño drives changes in the high- and low-pressure patterns in the troposphere, the lowest layer of Earth's atmosphere where weather happens," said Amy Butler, a physicist at NOAA's Chemical Sciences Laboratory.
The Met Office says that it is not a guarantee that a hot summer leads to a cold winter and that this belief in a direct and regular causality is a myth. However, the El Niño phenomenon could this year be the reason the UK is plunged into a cold snap this coming winter, though it is not yet a certainty.
Met Office Forecast and Preparation Advice
In its latest weather blog published this week, the forecaster said: "The stratospheric polar vortex is already unusually stretched, with the disturbance associated with so-called 'wave two' activity, when two large atmospheric waves push into it from opposite directions. This wave two activity is considerably stronger than average for the time of year. Forecasts suggest the vortex will subsequently become increasingly displaced from the North Pole."
Direct Energy says that, if facing the risk of snow, households should stock up on non-perishable snacks and supplies in the event that you aren't able to get to your local supermarket, or you are affected by a power outage, so you don't go hungry while waiting for the bad weather to pass.
According to the energy firm, households should make sure they have these six key items ahead of a snowstorm: bottled water, bread, milk, tinned goods (especially warming foods like soups and stews), snack foods (such as crisps, crackers and cookies in sealed packages), cereal and granola, and dried pasta and jars of sauce.
In its online advice on preparing for a snowstorm, the firm said: "After heavy snowfall or blizzard conditions, you could find yourself snowed in for days. Getting cut off from your local grocery store could be made worse by a prolonged power outage, which would leave you with just a few hours to enjoy the remaining contents of your fridge safely. But if you stock your pantry with filling shelf-stable foods, you won't go hungry while waiting for the snow to be cleared."
