AN ARCTIC BLAST IS ON ITS WAY TOWARDS THE WEEKEND

Forecasters have predicted wet and grey weather conditions before bitterly cold temperatures hit over the weekend.

A rare polar vortex will send freezing cold air towards Britain bringing with it weeks of snow and ice.

The phenomenon known as Sudden Stratospheric Warming (SSW) causes Arctic air to suddenly heat up and send freezing air to the UK which could last up to two weeks or longer.

The last SSW event occurred four years ago, according to official data, and brought the coldest March for 51 years to Scotland, with snow and -12.5C lows as late as March 31 in Braemar, Aberdeenshire.

SSW events also triggered -16.1C lows in Altnaharra, the Scottish Highland s , during November 2010 - starting the month-long Big Freeze in December 2010.

Forcast models indicated a cold, blocked pattern over Scandinavia for the last week of February and first week of March, reinforced by a possible polar vortex split and accompanying stratospheric warming.

Although things seem to be mild right now, Salford could see temperatures drop drastically towards the end of the week. So wrap up warm folks and remember not to feed the polar bears bread, it bloats their stomachs... 

What is Sudden Stratosphetic Warming?

A “Sudden Stratospheric Warming” happens 30 miles up when the jet stream is disrupted and air is pushed in the opposite direction.

As the air compresses it can warm by up to 50C in just a few days.

The occurrence is normally associated with air from the east entering Britain and northern Europe, bringing freezing temperatures and possibly snow.