At least 10 people died of cold in Poland. Night temperatures in Russia plunged to minus 30C.
Normally milder Greece has witnessed temperatures of minus 15C in the north where an Afghan migrant died of cold last week and roads were closed.
In Athens, the temperature failed to rise above 0C and several of the islands were covered in snow.
BBC Weather report about why the cold is so intense.
The extreme winter weather that has gripped Europe in the past days has caused more than a dozen deaths, left villages cut off, caused power and water outages, frozen rivers and lakes, grounded flights and led to road accidents. Serbia's authorities on Sunday banned river traffic on its stretch of the Danube — one of Europe's main rivers — because of ice and strong wind.
[...] In Italy, eight deaths were blamed on the cold, including a man who died in the basement of an unused building in Milan, and another one on a street flanking Florence's Arno River. [Pope] Francis asked God to "warm our hearts so we'll help" the homeless.
(Score: -1, Flamebait) by XivLacuna on Wednesday January 11 2017, @11:08PM
Freeze the invaders so they'll flee back to their just deserts or turn into kebabsicles.
(Score: -1, Troll) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday January 11 2017, @11:09PM
Scientists predicted the climate will change. Even though some people try to deny it, here it is.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday January 11 2017, @11:17PM
This was the weather we've had here in the 80's every winter. If anything this is a temporary return to normality.
(Score: 1, Interesting) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday January 11 2017, @11:23PM
> This was the weather we've had here in the 80's every winter.
Yeah, 'here' in North Dakota.
Europe, OTOH, no so much.
Meanwhile in the US deep south, average lows are 20°F above normal (normal low of 31°F, forecast lows of 50-55°F) for at least the next week.
(Score: 5, Insightful) by ikanreed on Wednesday January 11 2017, @11:40PM
You understand that Europe is mostly in the same latitudes as Canada, right? That the southern US aligns better with Morroco and Tunisia?
Most of Europe has, for the better part of a couple millennia, had outlier temperatures for its latitude/altitude? Britain, in particular has been far far warmer than it should be. Most of this is attributed, by climatologists, to the thermohaline circulation(i.e. the Gulf Stream in this particular case).
Now to provoke the annoying replies: climate change has been expected to cause seasonal shifts in the flow-rate and location of the thermohaline since at least the late 90s, and observational evidence that that was happening began accumulating last decade. It is expected in the next decade for Europe to become a lot more Siberia/Canada-like.
As with a lot of climate change things, it's easy to miss the decadal shifts in the inter-annual noise, and so "blaming" climate change for this isolated event is a bit like blaming a deck missing a 2 of clubs for you drawing an ace of spades.
(Score: 3, Informative) by dlb on Thursday January 12 2017, @12:03AM
As with a lot of climate change things, it's easy to miss the decadal shifts in the inter-annual noise...
True. No reputable scientist has stated that climate changed can cause a specific change in weather. What the current conclusion of science is stating is that climate change will steadily increase the likelihood of such things happening.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday January 12 2017, @01:12AM
Why are you comparing the american south with europe?
GO back and read the post you are responding to. Read it harder.
Are un familiar with the concept that climate change causes increased variability, not uniform change?
(Score: 2) by ikanreed on Thursday January 12 2017, @01:27AM
None of the literature I've read suggests increased variability(specifically interannual or intraannual), but you know, there's a wealth of information out there, so odds are I missed the memo on that one. Would you be so kind as to provide a citation?
(Score: 2) by bradley13 on Thursday January 12 2017, @03:45PM
The tie is between climate change and extreme weather events. These ties are faring about as well as the rest of the climate change stuff:
- "2007: We predict more and/or stronger hurricanes" [nationalgeographic.com] Darn, it didn't happen [noaa.gov].
- 2007: We predict more and stronger tornadoes [pnas.org] Darn, it didn't happen [noaa.gov].
- 2007: We predict more droughts and more flooding [www.ipcc.ch] Darn, it didn't happen [noaa.gov]; if you want to go back more than 20 years, then an analysis of the last 1200 years says it didn't happen [nature.com].
Apparently attempting to answer this great predictive record, one paper writes: "The lack of certainty in the state of the science does not equate with a lack of risk, since risk is based on possibility." In other words, "because we have no clue, it's fine for us to make doomsday predictions".
Warmer is better than colder - I'd rather live today than in the Little Ice Age.
Everyone is somebody else's weirdo.
(Score: 2) by ikanreed on Thursday January 12 2017, @04:26PM
I just ran the linear regressions on that first link's dataset. There's absolutely a p Why the fuck did you just lie to me?
No, seriously, why did you just lie? What the hell do you get out of saying one thing when your own data says something different?
I don't really want to go any further with clicking your stupid-ass links, because fuck you for being so goddamn intellectually lazy as to not even check whether what you were saying matched what they said. Fuck your cult-of-ignorance. Fuck your laziness. Fuck your condescending bullshit. I shouldn't have to check whether what you're saying is true. You should do that to your own statements, you stupid, dishonest lying shithead.
In summary: fuck you.
(Score: 2) by ikanreed on Thursday January 12 2017, @04:30PM
Well, I will apologize for letting a stray < turn into something that ate a paragraph about how I analyzed your data, and not using preview.
But I won't apologize for calling your dishonest bullshit bullshit. Or saying fuck you. Both of those are still entirely deserved.
(Score: 2) by bradley13 on Thursday January 12 2017, @09:40PM
Geez, calm down, you'll give yourself ulcers...
From your, um, explosion it's not entirely clear which data set you're talking about. I'll assume you mean the first one.
Is there a trend over the course of the whole data? Maybe, I didn't check, because that's not important. What's important is this: anyone can look in the past with 100% accuracy. Gee, wow, there appears to be a trend. Let's make predictions!
Predictions are what science is all about. The reason I chose all those 2007 articles is that they all lie 10 years in the past, and they all forecast gloom and doom for the future. Look at the data since 2007. The predictions of doom were wrong.
In the data set that so upsets you: look at the "hurricanes" column, the average over the 10 years leading up to 2007 was 8.1. The average of all years since 2007 was 6.5. You can parse the data in lots of different ways, but one thing remains almost unalterable: The years since the prediction were made have shown relatively few hurricanes, of unexceptional intensity.
Everyone is somebody else's weirdo.
(Score: 3, Insightful) by art guerrilla on Thursday January 12 2017, @12:09PM
yep, la florida here, and we have not had much of our 'normal' winter weather/temps, set a local record (85) a week or so ago (previous record for that day was 2015)... literally, have not turned the heat on so far this season, when it normally would have been on a month or so back... mid-upper 70's when it should be low 60's; 50's at night when it should be about 35-40...
i'm certain it is just some -you know- rogue weather, not any sort of indication of larger climate change at all...
say gang, let's all keep whistling past the graveyard ! ! !
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday January 12 2017, @12:31PM
Pretty normal winter in Helsinki: ie. minimum temperatures going below -20C but not -30C.
We've had a couple of crazy warm winters during past few years with temperature not hitting -20C at all so if you compare to those, it's cold, but those aren't (yet) the norm.
(Score: 4, Informative) by Unixnut on Thursday January 12 2017, @12:19AM
> Scientists predicted the climate will change. Even though some people try to deny it, here it is.
Isn't that a bit like predicting the the sun will rise tomorrow? The climate has been changing before humans existed, I suspect it will change after humans have ceased to exist on earth. Nothing in the universe is static, it is always changing.
The only thing crazier in my mind than people predicting the obvious, is that there are people out there that will deny the obvious.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday January 12 2017, @01:13AM
One issue with the climate change idea is that they take the average of an ensemble of models, all making different predictions from one another, and based on different contradictory assumptions.
(Score: 1, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday January 12 2017, @08:43PM
We're all going to die too, so why the big deal about killing a few fetuses or nuking the odd town? Shit just happens.
(Score: 3, Insightful) by SomeGuy on Thursday January 12 2017, @12:22AM
Meanwhile around Atlanta GA, schools were kept closed on Monday and Tuesday after a Saturday morning sleet storm because there were still a handful of icy patches on the roads that the local DOTs somehow could not deal with even though most of the roads had thawed and dried by noon Saturday! "Because you cant be too safe!!!!1!!11" Kept the talking heads on TV busy.
Dumbasses.
Speaking of which
Retard should try asking people rather than an imaginary sky fairy.
(Score: 3, Insightful) by krishnoid on Thursday January 12 2017, @12:41AM
I bet he was winking at the camera and mouthing, 'HINT, HINT' at the same time.
(Score: 2) by bob_super on Thursday January 12 2017, @12:55AM
Poor guy is stuck wearing white even when he wants to impersonate Jiminy Cricket.
(Score: 2) by AthanasiusKircher on Thursday January 12 2017, @04:19AM
Meanwhile around Atlanta GA, schools were kept closed on Monday and Tuesday after a Saturday morning sleet storm because there were still a handful of icy patches on the roads that the local DOTs somehow could not deal with even though most of the roads had thawed and dried by noon Saturday! "Because you cant be too safe!!!!1!!11" Kept the talking heads on TV busy.
To be fair, does anyone remember the ice/freezing rain/sleet event in Atlanta three years ago [wikipedia.org]? At the time, there were thousands of cars stranded on the roads, they had to call out the National Guard to bring them to shelters, had to set up emergency overnight shelters all over the city, etc.
People in the South aren't prepared for winter weather. Ever. I have no idea what the road conditions were actually like earlier this week down there, but things like this tend to go in 10-15 year cycles, I think. Major winter weather event happens in Southern city. (Well, not serious by Northern standards, but enough to cripple a city without salt or plows or drivers who have any clue what to do.) Terrible stuff happens. Everyone overreacts for several years afterward. Cities purchase snowplows and piles of salt when they never had it before.
Then after 5-10 years, everyone gets criticized for overreacting. The snowplows are sold off. The salt is gradually used up whenever it can be (to show the expenditure was worth it!) in a few days with flurries. Then, in a few years, another serious weather event happens, but they have no way to deal with it... and the cycle repeats. I've never lived in Atlanta, but I'm familiar with ice events that have happened in other Southern cities, so what you're probably seeing now is probably the "overcautious" stage. In about 5-7 years, there will be a serious school bus crash or something when they don't call off school because everyone forgets what happened in 2014.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday January 12 2017, @02:04PM
To be fair, does anyone remember the ice/freezing rain/sleet event in Atlanta three years ago? At the time, there were thousands of cars stranded on the roads, they had to call out the National Guard to bring them to shelters, had to set up emergency overnight shelters all over the city, etc
And everyone north of the Mason-Dixon Line mocked them relentlessly for the rest of the year. Even other southern states were like "Really?"
(Score: -1, Troll) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday January 12 2017, @06:14AM
Actually dumbfuck, the Almighty is not a fairy. He is rather large and can ram a lightning bolt up yor ass if He chooses. You will see Him one day. It may very well be the last day you will ever know. You will NOT like that day.
(Score: 3, Insightful) by Azuma Hazuki on Thursday January 12 2017, @07:47AM
Did it ever occur to you that kissing up to the biggest bully on the playground is a crappy insurance policy?
I am "that girl" your mother warned you about...
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday January 12 2017, @01:33PM
(1) you're right. A bully tried that once on me but I refused.
(2) Pope Francis didn't ask for us to kiss the big strong bully's ass, but instead to protect the weak and those who are worse off than us.
(Score: 2) by Azuma Hazuki on Thursday January 12 2017, @09:10PM
1) wut
2) Yes, he did, because he is the Pope. The moral things he's asking are older than the entire Abrahamic corpus, let alone Catholic Christianity which is only about 1690 years old (Council of Nicaea/325 AD). And other religions do it better; I am specifically thinking here of Buddhism.
I am "that girl" your mother warned you about...
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday January 12 2017, @07:46PM
Retard should try asking people rather than an imaginary sky fairy.
It's sort of his job to commune with the sky fairy. Now you might disagree with the existence of said fairy, but from a purely pragmatic perspective, his actions do have positive impact on the millions of lives who see him as the head of their sky fairy fan club of choice.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday January 13 2017, @06:08PM
Yeah yeah, he doesn't believe just like you so that must be it, right? This is a post about weather but you're still able to work in your anti-religion agenda. Good work!
(Score: 2, Funny) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday January 12 2017, @12:37AM
Looks like Trump is right, again.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday January 12 2017, @12:51AM
He'll deny it as usual.
(Score: 4, Insightful) by Azuma Hazuki on Thursday January 12 2017, @01:23AM
Trump had nothing to do with this; if he had, the snow would've been yellow!
I am "that girl" your mother warned you about...
(Score: 2) by Pslytely Psycho on Thursday January 12 2017, @05:39AM
I think it would of been a lovely shade of Creamsicle Orange......(:
Alex Jones lawyer inspires new TV series: CSI Moron Division.
(Score: 2) by turgid on Thursday January 12 2017, @01:38PM
Yes, he's far right.
I refuse to engage in a battle of wits with an unarmed opponent [wikipedia.org].
(Score: 5, Informative) by looorg on Thursday January 12 2017, @04:18AM
Zero to -30 C is not extreme weather - it's called Winter! This used to be normal winter weather - I would say the last few winters have been the abnormal once with their mild and weak weather. Sure it might come as a surprise down in Greece that there is snow falling and a bit colder then what they are used to but I wouldn't call it extreme, certainly not for Europe. From the articles it seems also somewhat clear that the people that are dying are homeless people - outside, exposed to the elements and not properly dressed. That some economical migrants (aka "refugees") froze to death either as they try and make it to the "good part of Europe", which proves that they are not refugees, is hardly surprising either for the exact same reasons - exposure and not properly dressed. Just look at the pictures - the Russians are out making ice-sculptures with chainsaws and dressed like you should be. The people crying about extreme weather are by comparison just weak and unprepared.
It's a bit after 5am in central euroland now, it's -8 where I'm at. There is snow outside. Normally this would be quite nice, but it's a personal preference as I hate everything above 15C and think that is to hot. What is making it somewhat less nice is the high wind speeds making it feel a lot colder then it actually is. They said on the news it would get colder during the weekend.
(Score: 2, Interesting) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday January 12 2017, @05:40AM
Fairbanks Alaska.
So far it's been a fairly normal winter if not for a bit on the warmer side.
We've seen some -30F temps so far, even been out and worked in it a little bit. No big deal.
A normal winter we would have seen -40 by now and for several weeks.
Forecast is for 40 below by Monday but that changes daily and may only get 20 - 30 below.
We'll see. So far climate change and warming has been nice above the 63rd parallel. Can't remember the last time I've seen -40 and I'll be just fine if it never gets that cold here again.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday January 12 2017, @08:33PM
Pussy. When I went to school it was -40 indoors. In Summer. On a nice day. And we liked it.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday January 12 2017, @08:47PM
Not both ways?
(Score: 2) by DeathMonkey on Thursday January 12 2017, @07:09PM
7 January was reported to be the coldest Orthodox Christmas in Moscow for 120 years,
I think if you break a coldness record that's been standing for 120 years you can legitimately call it extreme.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday January 12 2017, @08:36PM
Nonsense! If there has ever been a time on Earth when it has been colder than that, then it is within normal range and you are an alarmist for suggesting otherwise. Temperatures go up, temperatures go down. You can't explain it. Nobody can explain it.
(Score: 2) by DeathMonkey on Thursday January 12 2017, @08:57PM
You can't explain it. Nobody can explain it.
It's true!
I definitely can't explain how a glob of crazy-warm air over the arctic is displacing all this cold air to more southern regions. [theguardian.com]
And, I should feel bad for trying.
(Score: -1, Offtopic) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday January 12 2017, @07:21PM
Big deal. Find the wizard(s) responsible for these icy spells and cast fireball on them. If that fails, try axe-wielding barbarians. You're welcome, Europe.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday January 13 2017, @01:25AM
He was all ways right! Global warming is a Chinese scam!