Why is Europe so cold right now?

Freezing weather has been on a lot of people’s minds this week as cold air blows across the Eurasian continent from Siberia. Stefan Rahmstorf, professor of physics of the oceans at Potsdam University, explains how warming in the Arctic is weakening and breaking down the vortex that keeps the cold air at the pole – an occurrence that is becoming more frequent over the years.

(Image: Snow in Rome, Credit: European Photopress Agency.)