Sweden braces for record freezelink Published: 30 Nov 10 10:43 CET | Double click on a word to get a Stockholm is forecast to experience its coldest seasonal temperatures for over 100 years this week as winter weather takes hold of the country, according to the Swedish Meteorological Institute (SMHI). Bitter winter on the way: expert (25 Nov 10) Swedish military called in to battle winter storm (24 Nov 10) Transport agency calls for caution after snow (23 Nov 10) Temperatures across the country are expected to drop to record lows for the first week of December, with the exception of the far north, with averages coming in 7-10 degrees Celsius below normal. Stockholm registered -11 degrees Celsius at the weekend, the coldest November temperature since 1965 and the mercury is set to plunge further on Wednesday and Thursday, dropping as low as -15. "It is far below average temperatures, which usually oscillate around zero at this time of the year," said Alexandra Ohlsson, a meteorologist with SMHI. Dalarna and Jämtland in northern Sweden will also be hit with the harsh weather. The Storsjön lake in the heart of Jämtland's main city Östersund has already frozen over in most parts. SMHI forecasted that in southern and central areas the cold will ease off somewhat come Friday. Northern Norrland will however drop to minus 14-17 degrees Celsius in the middle of the day. The sub-zero temperatures are here to stay though, even in the south, Alexandra Ohlsson said. "It looks like the sub-zero temperatures will persist," she said. With more snow on the way in from the Baltic Sea, the current high snow depth of eight decimetres, recorded in Tidaholm in western Sweden, is set to be exceeded. Habo and Mullsjö are some of the most wintry white municipalities in southern and central Sweden, and warnings have been issued over the dangers associated with heavy snowfalls. Emergency services in Jönköping county in central Sweden are urging people to check their roofs, especially split-level houses where deep pockets of heavy snow can form. SMHI was reluctant to issue a forecast for Christmas and on whether the temperatures will remain low enough to keep away the slush that typifies the festive season in many parts of southern and central Sweden. Britain is brought to a standstill by big freeze as passengers forced to spend a freezing night on broken-down trainslink Severe weather warnings across most of England, Scotland, parts of Wales Motorists told not to drive in Kent, Sussex, Nottinghamshire, S.Yorks Gatwick Airport will remain closed all day Edinburgh Airport to stay closed until at least 6pm today Thousands of schools across Britain to remain closed Shops running out of milk as lorries struggle to deliver More than half of Britain arrived late for work today after heavy snow and ice caused widespread travel chaos. But those who did manage to make it in on time are being urged by police to leave early to avoid a repeat of last night's nightmare journey home. Large swathes of the country have been brought to a standstill - with many roads, rail lines and airports forced to close, while thousands of children have been forced to stay at home after their schools were shut. It comes after a night of more heavy snow in which passengers were forced to sleep in broken-down trains. Shops are even running out of basics such as milk and bread, as lorries struggle to make deliveries. Big freeze: Trains remained stuck at Orpington station in Kent this morning after heavy snow Misery on the rails: Two of the passengers stranded on the train overnight from London to Kent Employment law firm Peninsula said a study of over 850 firms carried out today showed that 57 per cent of workers arrived in their offices, shops or factories late this morning, with the north of England hit the hardest. It comes as the insurance firm RSA estimated that the bad weather could cost the British economy up to £1.2 billion pounds a day, with retailers and the restaurant industry likely to be the worst affected. Last night, commuters and families were stuck for more than five hours on a train from London Bridge to Sussex - then had to endure a half a mile walk through the snow to a station staff room, where they were still waiting to be rescued earlier today. Scores more attempting to get home from London Charing Cross to Hastings in East Sussex were stranded for six hours overnight after the train broke down near Orpington. They had to wrap themselves in layers of clothing to keep out the biting cold. Benji Symes was onboard the Sussex-bound 10.23pm Southeastern train when the engine broke down half a mile from Sevenoaks in Kent. A young boy tries to sleep on a freezing train which got stuck for six hours near Orpington in Kent One of the families stuck on a train outside Sevenoaks in Kent overnight He said carriages were left in total darkness until 3.30am. 'They tried several attempts to try re-boot the engine and even tried to get another train to try and tow us but nothing worked,' he said. 'In the end we had to form an evacuation and we had to walk half a mile or so up the track to   Sevenoaks station.' SNOW CLOSES ROADS The Forth road bridge in Scotland is closed. The Dartford River Crossing south east of London is closed.  Delays on the A249 and A2 in Kent, and hold-ups at Huthwaite, near Mansfield, in Nottinghamshire. Part of the A66 is closed in Cumbria. In Surrey, a jackknifed lorry on the clockwise carriageway of the M25 is leading to heavy delays near Godstone. A section of the southbound M3 is closed. There are delays on the A12 in Essex. A spokesman for Southeastern trains said: 'Last night there were a number of incidents with trains becoming stuck due to the icy conditions including trains at Orpington and Sevenoaks. 'Buses were arranged and arrived at approximately 05.30 this morning and some passengers chose to stay on train at this point. 'We have also been working with Kent County Council overnight and set up a centre for passengers at the Angel Centre in Tonbridge where teas and coffee were being served.' Kent and Sussex Police have today urged motorists to stay off the roads with severe delays reported on the M25 London orbital motorway which passes through the counties. Today there were scores of lorries still parked up on the motorway at Reigate, Surrey, following hours of gridlocked traffic yesterday. In Nottinghamshire, drivers are also being told to use their vehicles 'only if absolutely necessary' after heavy snowfall overnight caused gridlock in parts of the county. Road conditions were said to be particularly bad in Huthwaite, near Mansfield, and a jackknifed lorry caused delays on the southbound A1 at Blyth in north Nottinghamshire. South Yorkshire Police said motorists should stay off the roads as they tried to deal with several incidents in the area. A force spokeswoman said: 'Police 4x4 vehicles were out overnight trying to assist with clearing roads and dealing with yesterday's gridlock as cars struggled to move anywhere. 'Sheffield City Council has been out this morning attempting to clear tram routes, some of which are running limited services.' Gatwick Airport was forced to close at 10.30pm last night and remains shut today, causing misery for hundreds of travellers hoping to escape from the earliest big freeze seen for years. Airport spokeswoman Sarah Baranowski said ground staff working throughout the night had not been able to clear the settling snow. 'It is vital that passengers do not make their way to the airport and check our website and with their airline for updates,' she added. 'We need to make sure the runway is safe before all flights can recommence but the snow has not stopped all night.' London City Airport had cancellations and delays this morning due to the severe weather. All East Midlands Trains' services were affected by the icy conditions, with no trains able to run between Sheffield and Liverpool Lime Street because of poor weather conditions at Dore in Yorkshire. Impressive: An artist puts the finishing touches to his 50ft snow dragon in Nottinghamshire Going nowhere: Heavy snow in Beckenham, Kent, last night brought commuters to a standstill Southeastern rail network also faced severe disruption and delays today. Eurostar trains were running about an hour late. Shops across Kent, including Bromley, West Wickham and Elmers End, were today running short on fresh goods such as milk as deliveries struggled to get through. In East Sussex, almost 90 schools were closed and in West Sussex more than 80 schools were shut today. Almost 300 schools across East Yorkshire and northern Lincolnshire were closed today. Around 300 schools were also closed in South Yorkshire, with bus services suspended in Sheffield, Rotherham and Doncaster. Empty shelves: Supermarkets ran out of milk last night as supply lorries struggled to deliver and shoppers began panic-buying in Kent Freezing conditions and heavy snowfall have caused more problems on the roads across North Yorkshire. More than 100 schools were closed and roads in the county, which included the A1 into and out of York and various roads around the city centre, all experienced problems due to snowfall. In West Yorkshire, more than 100 schools closed and there were travel problems across the region, with Northern Rail suspending its train services between Leeds and Sheffield. The fire brigade is also warning people not to venture onto frozen water. In the past decade, more than 20 people have drowned in the UK because they walked on to frozen ponds and lakes, many to rescue people or dogs. Neil Graham, of West Sussex Fire and Rescue Service, said: 'People should take extra care around the edges of waterways because a layer of snow can easily disguise thin ice underneath.' Freezing: The Met Office has issued severe weather warnings for most of the UK today, while, right, a guardsman stands outside Buckingham Palace, London, as snow fell in the capital yesterday Last night commuters warned by Network Rail to begin their homeward journeys as soon as possible with colder weather and heavier snowfall expected through the night. All trains from Victoria in London were cancelled last night, and at other stations, thousands of commuters fought for places on the handful of trains which did make it out of the capital. Others were forced to wait for hours or booked into hotels for the night. There was gridlock on the M25, as London saw more breakdowns than any other part of the country, the AA said. Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1334410/UK-snow-Southeastern-trains-passengers-forced-spend-freezing-night-broken-service.html#ixzz16rWzl9xi 11 quakes hit Bulusan area after ash explosionlink 11/25/2010  At least 11 volcanic quakes were recorded around restive Bulusan Volcano in Sorsogon province after it ejected ash and steam anew Wednesday afternoon. The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) also said Thursday that steaming activity was observed at the volcano. "Steaming activity varied from wispy to voluminous with white steam columns reaching a maximum height of 300-500 meters above the crater rim before drifting south-southwest to south. (Wednesday's) measurement of sulfur dioxide (SO2) emission rate produced an average value of 22 tonnes per day," it said in its update Thursday. Bulusan exploded at 1:22 p.m. Wednesday, ejecting ash up to 1 km above the crater. This page requires a higher version browser Phivolcs said Alert Level 1 remains over Bulusan Volcano, and reminded the public not to venture inside the 4-km permanent danger zone, where sudden steam and ash explosions may occur. "Due to the prevailing wind direction, residents located in the northwest and southwest sectors of the volcano are advised to take precautions against ashfalls. Civil aviation authorities must also warn pilots to avoid flying close to the volcano’s summit as ejected ash and volcanic fragments from sudden explosions may pose hazards to aircrafts," it said. Also, residents near valleys and river/stream channels should be watchful against sediment-laden stream flows and lahars because ash and other loose volcanic materials may be remobilized during heavy and prolonged rainfall, it said. — RSJ, GMANews.TV Eruptions as big as Pompeii under Arctic ice Just a coincidence that that's where the ice is melting? link

                      


26 Nov 10 - "One of the disconnects the Church of Al Gore/IPCC has yet to address regarding so-called Global Warming is why is it the Arctic ice extent is receding while the Antarctic ice extent is growing at historic rates," says this great article on strata-sphere.com.
 

"Given the fact CO2 levels are ubiquitous across the Earth, if this was really a global climate driver we should see higher temperatures (and less ice) across the globe, adjusted for latitude and the amount of land vs. sea surface area."

"Well it seems we may have an answer to why the Arctic water temperatures were rising and the ice was melting – massive undersea volcanoes. (This article, Volcanic eruptions reshape Arctic ocean floor, says it well.)

"Recent massive volcanoes have risen from the ocean floor deep under the Arctic ice cap, spewing plumes of fragmented magma into the sea, scientists who filmed the aftermath reported Wednesday. "The eruptions — as big as the one that buried Pompei — took place in 1999 along the Gakkel Ridge, an underwater mountain chain snaking 1,800 kilometres (1,100 miles) from the northern tip of Greenland to Siberia. "Scientists suspected even at the time that a simultaneous series of earthquakes were linked to these volcanic spasms. "But when a team led of scientists led by Robert Sohn of the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution in Massachusetts finally got a first-ever glimpse of the ocean floor 4,000 meters (13,000 feet) beneath the Arctic pack ice, they were astonished. "What they saw was unmistakable evidence of explosive eruptions rather than the gradual secretion of lava bubbling up from Earth’s mantle onto the ocean floor.

"The natural basin that is the Arctic Ocean is possibly the reason why Arctic water temperatures were rising because the warming caused by these massive underwater explosions couldn’t really circulate out of the basin.

"Is it simply coincidence that the regions of the Arctic Ocean experiencing thin ice ... is the same region that is right over these massive undersea volcanoes just discovered?

See entire great article, including graphs:
http://strata-sphere.com/blog/index.php/archives/5589
 Thanks to Susann Macklem for this link