Lengthy cold spell ‘due to wind change’

A dramatic shift in the UK weather pattern this winter has brought an unusually prolonged freezing spell, according to forecasters.

Britain’s prevailing wind generally brings weather from the west, but for the last few weeks the wind has blown from the north and east.

This has led to snowy conditions and sub–zero temperatures from the Arctic, Scandinavia and Siberia, which are predicted to continue for at least a week.

Brendan Jones, a forecaster with MeteoGroup, the weather division of the Press Association, said: “It has been one of the lengthiest cold spells we’ve had for quite a while, since 1995–96.

“It’s purely because of the wind direction across the UK.

“The prevailing wind that our weather comes from is usually from the south–west and west and that means the weather usually comes from the Atlantic.

“We do get cold spells every winter but, because the weather tends to come from the west, winters are usually mild and wet with occasional cold spells.

“For the last three weeks, since mid–December, winds have come in from the north and east and everywhere in between.

“It has been the complete opposite of what usually happens.

“The wind has either been coming from the Arctic or from Scandinavia and parts of Siberia — all the cold places.

“Our source of warmer and milder weather has been completely cut off.”