York council chiefs say they have enough salt to cope amid fears of a second 'Beast from the East' in the coming weeks.

The Met Office has issued a major Sudden Stratospheric Warning (SSW) - a sudden rise in temperatures which can lead to a blocking of high pressure - which is predicted to occur later this month or in early March.

It was a major SSW that brought the Beast from the East in 2018, which saw parts of the UK covered in 22 inches of snow, and caused £1.2 billion of damage to the economy.

A City of York Council spokesperson said: "Our Salt Barn can store up to 3,000 tonnes of salt as per national reserves allow and is restocked regularly throughout the winter season between November and March.

"If we receive any warnings for ice and snow we have robust plans in place to carry our precautionary treatments of the footway and carriageways in York.

"For updates on snow clearance and gritting follow York Gritter on Twitter. Or for more information on gritting in York visit: Gritting routes – City of York Council.”

However, the Met Office has stressed that an SSW does not necessarily mean that the country will be hit with Beast of the East like weather conditions.

A Met Office spokesperson said: "The end of February is likely to see a continuation of changeable conditions, with the wettest and windiest weather most probable across the northwest.

"Into March, high pressure is expected to develop to the north of the UK and low pressure to the south.

"This is likely to introduce a north-south split, with drier conditions across the north and wetter conditions in the south.

"Temperatures expected to be mostly around average, but a period of colder or much colder temperatures remains a small possibility and could bring spells of wintry weather."