What is the polar vortex and how will it affect London's weather this winter?

Detailed summary

Everything you need to know about the polar vortex - and how it could shape London’s weather this winter

Londoners are being warned to brace for freezing conditions this winter as a powerful "Super El Niño" disrupts the polar vortex.

It comes as London is facing its first freezing weather of Autumn, with the Met office saying temperatures on Friday in London could sink to zero.

It. comes amid concerns El Ninoi is threatening severe weather patterns across the globe.

Tim Stockdale, principal scientist at the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF), previously told The Standard: “We’re seeing weather system stress like we’ve never seen before.”

But how could this affect the polar vortex - and what does this mean for London’s weather?

The polar vortex is a massive ring of swirling, icy air trapped high in the stratosphere above the Earth's North Pole.

Held in place by a strong jet stream, it confines the most extreme Arctic conditions to the northernmost parts of the globe.

However, the weather can become unstable if this system weakens or fractures. When a phenomenon known as Sudden Stratospheric Warming (SSW) occurs, it can shatter the vortex, sending a blast of bitter, freezing air directly towards Europe.

A major SSW happens when colossal atmospheric waves travel upward from the Earth's surface and crash into the stratosphere.

Opening of the article, excerpted from Evening Standard. To read the rest, open the article on the publisher's site.