Forecasters are warning the Beast from the East which brought freezing temperatures and heavy snow last winter could be making a return.

The Met Office has stressed temperatures are above average for this time of the year.

It said sudden stratospheric warming had appeared around Christmas, when there was a sharp increase in the temperature over a couple of days.

When this happens in the Arctic it can lead to a rush of cold air blowing eastwards across Europe a few weeks later, bringing much cooler temperatures to the continent.

The Met Office said this is what caused the Beast from the East early last year, an icy blast of freezing Siberian winds which brought freezing temperatures and heavy snow to much of the UK.

But spokesman Grahame Madge said that while Britain being hit by a new Beast from the East could not be ruled out, the forecast so far suggests the country will see stable weather conditions.

"Last year there was a classic set-up with the Beast from the East, there was an event in the Arctic - sudden stratospheric warming - where the stratosphere warms rapidly," he said.

"That triggers, generally, a change in the direction of winds across Europe at surface level. The upshot is that normally when this happens in the Arctic you get easterly winds and that's what happened last year."

Mr Madge said Britain was looking at a stable week, with above average temperatures at the weekend.

But he added it was not possible to rule out a cold snap, with parts of Europe facing "significant" chills and heavy snow.