From the beginning of 2018, England as a country – including that of Surrey – has witnessed a series of fluctuating weather occurrences. This sudden change in climates is perceived to be caused by a massive rise in air temperatures in an area approximately 30km north of the North Pole largely based within Siberia. Thus the great amount of cold weather circling around the North Pole was forced to travel down south to Europe and eventually reached Britain, creating a sudden change in Surrey’s weather. Such a change has not occurred since March 2013. At the begging of January from the 1st to the 14th, everything appeared to be normal, with the highest temperature hitting 12 degrees Celsius and lowest being that of 2 degrees Celsius. However, as the month proceeded, the temperature began to plummet, and even reached as low as -5 degrees Celsius, around the middle of January. Surrey’s temperature continued to fluctuate across the month spanning from 9 degrees Celsius on certain days, to -1 degrees Celsius on others – though temperatures never reached lower than -5 degrees within Surrey itself. February saw even greater fluctuation with the highest temperature being that of 14 degrees Celsius and the lowest reaching numbers as low as -6 degrees Celsius. Wind speed across areas such as the Epsom and Ewell Borough have also continued to fluctuate over the passing week, with its lowest temperatures reaching roughly 2mph, and it’s highest reaching that of 16.1mph. However, in perspective with the rest of the year, the wind conditions in this current period of time are substantially improved from the beginning of the year when Storm Eleanor hit the north of Scotland with a force of 90mph, leaving strong winds to prevail across London, once the winds reached, the capit.

The great drop in temperatures have resulted in Surrey potentially being faced with “the coldest air in several years.” Such a plummet in temperature gives Surrey the potential to experience snow at any moment in time.

Two days of 2018 encountered snow so far this year within the Epsom and Ewell Borough, Sutton, Cheam, and other locations around those areas. However, the snow quickly melted once noon occurred, as the days’ temperatures were not low enough for the snow to proceed falling or continue to last. When March prevails most of the UK, and likely London as well will be plunged into wintry conditions. Such an anomaly in the period usually perceived as the beginning of Spring also alludes to the theory of the winter vortex currently descending from Siberia. London is said to be stormed by the ‘Beast from the East’ in the prevailing week, with freezing cold Russian winds expecting to plunged temperatures and increase the chances of snow hitting Surrey. Across Surrey and the rest of the UK, motorists have been advised to remain alert as travel chaos could strike London due to the treacherous weather conditions. In spite of such great levels of unpredictability, the effects of the weather are unlikely to be serious, as long as people drive safely and wrap up warm.

Harry Aboud