The archipelago is being battered by very strong storms

Jan 7, 2014 09:11 GMT  ·  By
Massive waves batter UK's coastline, triggered by an area of low atmospheric pressure in the Atlantic Basin
   Massive waves batter UK's coastline, triggered by an area of low atmospheric pressure in the Atlantic Basin

The extremely-violent weather patterns that have been affecting the United Kingdom over these past few weeks are most likely produced by the Polar Vortex, an atmospheric circulation pattern that is currently moving over Canada and the continental United States.

As its name implies, the vortex should lie over the North Pole, but its location has been shifting erratically over the past decade. According to representatives from the UK Met Office, a large and deep atmospheric depression in the Atlantic area is responsible for the exceptionally high waves that have been hitting the country's coastlines.

The Polar Vortex may have contributed to creating a very strong jet stream that in turn pushed an area of low atmospheric pressure over the United Kingdom, causing massive storms. At some locations, wind speeds topped 113 kilometers (70 miles) per hour, NPR reports.

At this point, meteorologists are unsure as to how the vortex will evolve and shift position over the coming weeks or months. What is certain is that this atmospheric pattern will continue to cause disruptions and severe weather events regardless of where it ends up, as long as that location is not the North Pole.

On the bright side, Eastern Europe experiences balmy temperatures in the middle of January, which is nice.