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Date Published: 11/01/2023

Freezing February: an unstable polar vortex could result in icy temperatures Spain next month

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There is now “strong evidence” that Spain will see the temperatures plummet in February

Freezing February: an unstable polar vortex could result in icy temperatures Spain next month

So far it’s been an unseasonably warm winter in Spain and several regions have already recorded their hottest January days in history, but it looks like rather than avoiding the cold snap altogether, the frigid weather is just set to hit a little later this year.

While it’s a bit early to make solid predictions, all of the meteorological models point to a real change that is already brewing in the Arctic and is likely to hit Spain hard at the beginning of February. According to the experts at Meteored, before this month is out there could be a destabilisation of the polar vortex – the wind currents that keep the icy cold stuck near the North Pole.

When there is a sudden stratospheric warming and an increase in temperatures, this can result in a break in the vortex.

If this current breaks, the cold will escape to the south, right in the direction of Spain.

However, while there is “strong evidence” that the glacial weather will hit, there are still many deciding factors at play, and the next two weeks will give a clearer picture of what is to come.

“If it is a warming powerful stratospheric storm and moves to the lower atmosphere, yes, we would be talking about quite powerful winter storms of cold and snow in some areas of the northern hemisphere," the expert explained.

With regards to February’s forecast, we won’t know with any degree of certainty if the polar cold will arrive until a few days before, but it’s likely that Spain will have a taste of that harsh winter from next week.

"Uncertainty is high, but it does seem that the situation will change as of the weekend. As of today (January 11), it seems quite likely that next week will be colder and more unstable in Spain," the meteorologist has predicted.

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