Weather experts in 'Beast from the East' update amid reports of return to Ireland

Irish weather experts have rubbished reports that the Beast from the East could return to cover Ireland in snow this winter. 

Reports first surfaced in the UK from Exacta Weather forecaster James Madden who predicted a “medium-high risk for an early SSW (sudden stratospheric warming) from in and around mid-November onwards this year”

He said there was an even bigger risk of a SSW occurring throughout January and February that are “likely to be highly influential on our overall weather patterns in terms of snow and cold.” 

The news was later carried by a number of Irish media outlets but two weather experts here have put the brakes on the reports.

Nick Critch from Weather Alerts Ireland said: "The usual yearly snow headlines have begun" and told his followers that he too has been monitoring the long range forecasts for the winter.

He added: "I was actually reading about long term forecast for the winter period and it could be warmer than normal with very little snow for December and January and possibly some bit colder in February.

"It really is near impossible to predict. We will keep you up to date with the latest forecasts and if there will be snow," he concluded.

Similarly, Alan O'Reilly from Carlow Weather said: "I wonder does Exacta Weather have the lotto numbers as well. Like clock work these stories come each year and like a stopped clock it can be right every now and again but through luck not science. Forecasting months of snow is just nonsense for clicks that scares elderly."

Met Éireann is not forecasting months down the line because it's almost impossible to predict accurately. 

Their extended seasonal outlook for October, November and December (OND) said "the signal from the C3S seasonal models for Ireland during the OND period is for above average temperatures to continue with higher than average rainfall likely across Ireland.

"Above average temperatures are very likely for Ireland during the OND period, though the likelihood decreases slightly as the period progresses. Mean temperatures are expected to be between 0.5 and 1.0 °C above average nationwide through each of the months.

"Wetter than normal conditions are likely across Ireland during OND.

"The sea surface temperatures around Irish coasts and over the Atlantic are expected to remain well above average during OND, trending 0.5 to 2.0°C degrees higher than normal."

So, reports of big snow from a new Beast from the East seem hugely exaggerated, or at the very least, very premature.