THERE are concerns that Bradford and the rest of the UK could be hit by severe winter weather in the coming weeks similar to the Beast from the East winter of 2018.

Scientists have been observing weather over the North Pole, and dramatic changes in the stratosphere at the top of the globe could have severe consequences for the UK.

Weather forecasting models are predicting a 'sudden stratospheric warming' event will happen this week, where temperatures in the layer of the atmopshere between six and 30 miles above Earth can increase by 50C in the space of a few days.

This often brings cold weather and snowstorms, such as the Beast from the East which gripped Bradford the rest of the UK three years ago, when half a metre of snow fell in some places, forced schools to clsoe and caused traffic chaos.

Dr Richard Hall, lead author of the study, said there was an increased chance of extreme cold and snow over the next week or two. “Today’s SSW is potentially the most dangerous kind,” he said.

There is also the threat of wet and stormy weather coming from the west towards the end of January and into February, meaning we could be in for some extreme weather in the coming weeks.

Bradford has been going through an icy cold period of weather in recent days, with repeated weather warnings for ice, freezing conditions, some snow and harsh morning frosts.