Thanks to the collision of arctic and tropical air over North America and the North Atlantic, the jet stream crossing the pond has intensified to supersonic speed, creating the perfect incubator for rapid cyclogenesis and formation of the Atlantic’s deepest depressions in several years.

A visible satellite image captured this morning shows a storm system over the Southeast USA, powerful jet stream extending from that system northeastwards out over the Atlantic. Note the tight swirl representative of a deep low off SE Greenland. That cyclone is said to be one of the deepest for the North Atlantic in the last decade with central pressure under 930mb at it’s peak.

So how strong has the jet stream become. A sounding above Quebec last night put the jet stream at 261 mph.

https://twitter.com/supercell_1996/status/1225780314934566913

https://twitter.com/myweather_ch/status/1226075324464717824

https://twitter.com/PaulKnightley/status/1226126393215418369

https://twitter.com/NWSOPC/status/1225917997610500097

The jet stream is expected to strengthen further during Sunday to an exceptional 265-270 mph s Storm Ciara passes just north of Scotland.

In a non-‘winter’, UK weather enthusiasts like myself have to contend with deep stormy lows rather than bitter beasts from the east for an adrenaline rush.

A persistently powerful stratospheric polar vortex this winter has driven a strongly positive Arctic Oscillation. This bottling of polar cold over northward propagating tropical warmth has fueled a strong mid-latitude zonal flow pattern thus harvesting the frequent development of low pressure systems from USA to Europe.

We’re in the midst of the stormiest spell of winter as the leading edge of ‘still to arrive’ Storm Ciara batters us this evening.

Expect a VERY wet night tonight with a period of gales for all as the frontal leading edge of Ciara sweeps through. The true ‘wind’ impacts will be witnessed during Sunday as an unusual UK-wide wind warning is in force with large swathe of England and Wales under an Amber warning.

Ciara is expected to be the deepest low in at least 7 years with pressure expected to drop to 940mb at it’s peak as it passes just north of Scotland.

Exposed west and south facing coasts and hills of the entire UK could witness gusts of 75-90 mph with even inland areas vulnerable to 65-75 mph gusts during Sunday. Somewhere over the high ground of the UK could observe a gust in excess of 130 mph.

Snow will become an increased issue in the wake of Ciara during late Sunday and Monday.

Another deep low forms on the heels of Ciara and is expected to produce further severe gales for the UK and Ireland next week.

Tags: atlantic jet stream, Europe Storm, polar vortex, positive AO, storm ciara, UK Storm