"Disruptive" snow and bitter east winds could herald the return of the "Beast from the East," if forecasts are correct.
In recent weeks, there has been speculation that a new cold spell could bring widespread snowfall in the aftermath of the recent major Sudden Stratospheric Warming (SSW) event, which occurred on February 16.
Following poor weather conditions in Spain and Morocco, the UK is expected to face empty shelves in supermarket fresh produce aisles until April.
The return of the beast from the east
GLYN KIRK/AFP via Getty Images
Forecasters say snow will be "more likely than earlier in the month" beginning March 8, and weather graphics from WX Charts show widespread and heavy snow in the North of England and Scotland, as per SomersetLive.
According to the Met Office's forecast for March 8 to 22, spells of rain or snow are more likely than earlier in the month, with a low chance that some wintry episodes will be disruptive, with northwestern areas likely to see the driest conditions.
An SSW is a weather phenomenon that caused the Beast from the East five years ago, though similar weather events in 2019 or January 2023 did not result in this.
The Met Office confirmed last week that a new, brief cold spell could arrive in the middle of this week, but it was unclear whether any potential snow would reach the southwest of England.
According to Oliver Claydon, a spokesman for the Met Office, this cold spell is expected to be relatively brief, with milder air cutting off the supply of cold air.
As is always the case with snow, the details will become clearer as the date approaches.
Looking at single coarse model outputs this far ahead is rarely reliable.
Unusually warm temperatures in the New Year were followed by freezing temperatures and severe wind and rain storms in both countries.
These extreme weather events have disrupted crop cycles and, according to one industry estimate, have increased wholesale food prices by half in some cases.
These problems have been exacerbated by transportation challenges and a lack of European greenhouse production as a result of the energy crisis.
As a result of the situation, many of the UK's largest supermarkets have begun to limit purchases of fresh produce items.
Tesco, Aldi, Asda, and Morrisons are all limiting the number of times customers can buy certain fresh produce items, such as tomatoes, peppers, and cucumbers.
It's not the first time that bad weather in Spain has caused major problems for UK food retailers.
In January 2017, the "ourgette crisis" occurred, with packs of vegetables disappearing from shelves and consumer prices skyrocketing when they became available again.
In February 2021, a similar scenario occurred.
What is the situation in Spain and Morocco?
Spain and Morocco are critical sources of everything from strawberries to aubergines during the winter months.
At this time of year, they are referred to as Europe's breadbasket.
However, temperatures and weather have been wildly fluctuating in both countries in recent weeks.
Over the New Year period, Spain experienced record heat, with temperatures reaching 24.9 degrees Celsius in Bilbao, resulting in a surplus of salad and fruit crops.
Soon after, temperatures dropped into the low double digits, even dropping below freezing at night, with cloud cover limiting sunlight.
It has slowed the growth of the remaining crops, resulting in a supply shortage.
A source in the fresh produce industry told NationalWorld that during a recent trip to Spain, the weather was still cold and there was "no sun all week," even though bright weather is essential for crop growth.
Conditions are expected to return to normal this week before plummeting again over the weekend.
According to the source, climate change is becoming a growing concern in European countries.
"There are more and more extreme weather patterns, with temperatures rapidly changing from hot to cold," they said.
Meanwhile, flooding, hail, and wind storms exacerbated similar weather issues in Morocco.
Because of the latter, ferries have been unable to sail, preventing supplies from reaching Europe.
