>Cold Wave Shows Signs Of Easing But Not Before Moscow Plunges To Coldest Levels Since Jan 06

Written by Mark Vogan on February 13, 2012 in Rest of Europe with 0 Comments

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UK/Ireland, Looking Generally Mild Next 10 Days With West To East Easing Of Cold Across Continent

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Cold Wave Shows Signs Of Easing But Not Before Moscow Plunges To Coldest Levels Since Jan 06

Almost 60,000 people use Russia’s emergency warming points in February
MOSCOW NEWS

A frozen tree and a windmill are seen in a Dutch landscape in Zevenhuizen, near The Hague February 4, 2012. REUTERS/Michael Kooren

On this day last week, I shared my concern as to just how cold I believed Moscow could get with the nearby presense of an intense polar upper low. Incidentally, Moscow’s high on Sunday was a frigid -8F while this morning, temperatures plunged to -24F or -31C. This is the same cold value experienced here during the bitter blast back in January 2006, said to be the coldest January for ther Russian capital in some 40 years.

UK Didn’t Experience My Much Anticipated Prolonged Cold Spell, But Just 200 Miles To the East, Belgium and the Netherlands Made Up For That!

Yes, it has been a season of dissapointment across many parts of the UK and especially Ireland, Northern Ireland and Scotland. England experienced a taster of the continental deep freeze with some decent cold and snow over the past 10 days.

Frozen Venice canal

What makes me rest a little easier is the fact that brutal winter conditions which have dominted some 2 full weeks, got as close to the UK as Belgium and the Netherlands. Frigid lows down to 0F (-18C) we’re experienced in Amsterdam with 10 straight days below freezing. To the east of the country, a low of -9F (-23C) was recorded and this was the Netherlands lowest reading in 27 years. So, although I was deffinately, incorrect about widespread cold across the UK and Ireland, I got the severe, record cold correct some 10 days prior to it’s arrival across Europe. Intensity and to an extent duration was forecasted accurately, however I believed this chill would reach and hold across a broader area of the UK and Ireland rather than just England.

The cold as well as massive, crippling snowstorms which have hammered a huge area through Italy, into the Balkans and the southeastern countries of Serbia, Bosnia, Bulgaria, Romania up into Ukraine on several occations, has been remarkable. Metres of snow have brought havoc and cut off thousands from the outside world for over a week.

In between these huge blizzards, have come waves of savage cold which sent temperatures throughout the snowbound southeast between -30C (-22F) with areas of the Ukraine nearing -40C.

People skate on the frozen Sihlsee lake, in the Euthal valley, Switzerland (China Daily)

It was amazing to see Norway, Sweden and Finland all plunge below -30C in their interior with a -40C reading over northern Finland (-40F). Poland, like in Dec 2010, plunged to -32C while Germany’s Usedom Island just off the mainland in the Baltic Sea fell to around -30C (-22F). The capital, Berlin, hit -21C (-4F), the lowest reading in 25 years. Locations throughout the Alps saw lows fall to between -20 and -26C. Even across Italy, severe cold shivered the mountainous north while even the fashion capitol of the world, Milan, plunged to -12C. Snow blanketed many Mediteranean islands right down to sea level including Majorca. Records for cold shivered France and even northern Spain.

So, despite the mild winter across Ireland, NI and Scotland, we have seen all other areas endure severe conditions.

Belgium Warms Up Following Longest Cold Spell Since 41′

Belgium in longest cold wave since 1941
FLANDERSNEWS.BE

NOTE: Taking into account the first 10 days of this month, Belgium is having the coldest start to February since 1917. Average maximum temperatures during the past ten days reached -2.6 degrees Celsius, compared to -2.7 in 1917

River traffic suspended on Austria’s frozen Danube
THE WEATHER NETWORK

Southern Russia hit by unusually cold temperatures
THE WEATHER NETWORK

Cold Waves Often End Ugly As Temps Warm And Black Ice Becomes Major Threat!

As temperature slowly warm following a 2 week period of sustained cold, black ice becomes a major threat. Snowcover will melt but with super cold roads and pavements, ice will linger throughout large swathes of France, up through the low countries and eventually further east through Germany, though that may take a good deal longer as colder weather as well as more snowfall will linger long into this week and perhaps into next.

Black ice warning on many roads
DUTCHNEWS.NL

2006 European cold wave
WIKIPEDIA

Severe drought could blight Britain in the summer after driest winter on record, experts warn
DAILY MAIL

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