00:00Sudden stratospheric warmings make extreme electricity demand 1.5, three times more likely, in northern and central Europe.
00:07But their timing offers providers more than a demand spike.
00:11The University of Exeter study, published in Meteorological Applications, links cold spells to heating demand.
00:18That link starts with Arctic winds forming the stratospheric polar vortex.
00:22About once every two years, those winds break down, heating the vortex.
00:26Meanwhile, cold air near Earth's surface spills south during this sudden stratospheric warming.
00:32The resulting extreme demand means electricity use at least 20% above average.
00:37But cold-adapted Scandinavia sees smaller increases than highly electrified France.
00:42Researcher Dr. Regan Mudar, now at the University of Lausanne, said researchers found a clear link.
00:49Yet Mudar cautioned that these events don't always affect surface temperatures.
00:53Even so, the 2018 Beast from the East followed such shifts, and cold typically arrives weeks later, giving providers time
01:02to prepare.
01:02Disclosure. This video contains stock footage and content created or enhanced using AI-assisted tools.
