Coldest in central England since 1659 Meteorologist Joe Bastardi |
 8 Dec 10 - "The central England Temperature (CET) from the 1st-7th of December is -1.9, making this the coldest opening week of December since 1879," says meteorologist Joe Bastrardi. With 1879 being the coldest opening week on CET record, this week has been the second coldest opening week to December since CET records began in 1659. Those records are for a one-week period. When you look at the two-week period, says Bastardi, the last week of November and the first week of December, it's the coldest since CET records began in 1659.
And there's more to come, Bastardi warns. "Preparation for renewal of extreme cold from France to Scandinavia and west through the UK should be made." See entire article: http://www.accuweather.com/ukie/bastardi-europe-blog.asp?partner=accuweather Thanks to Alan Caruba for this link |
Doctors shocked by spread of swine flu – and its severitylink
H1N1 virus returns, already claiming lives of 10 British adults with early signs that illness has spread to other European countries
By Jeremy Laurance, Health Editor
Saturday, 11 December 2010
Getty Images
The Swine flu virus that swept the world last year causing a global health emergency has returned to claim the lives of 10 adults in the UK in the past six weeks
The swine flu virus that swept the world last year causing a global health emergency has returned to claim the lives of 10 adults in the UK in the past six weeks.
The 10 deaths were in younger adults under 65 and associated with H1N1 swine flu. Most had underlying conditions but "a small proportion" were healthy before being struck down by the virus, according to the Health Protection Agency (HPA).
Seasonal flu normally causes severe illness and death in the elderly. The H1N1 swine flu virus targets pregnant women, younger adults, and those with chronic conditions, making it a cause of particular alarm.
Heaviest snowfall in 25 years leaves Paris paralysed
The heaviest snowfall in almost 25 years left much of the Paris region paralysed, with drivers advised not to use their cars unless absolutely necessary. link
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Photo: AFP/GETTY IMAGES
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Photo: REUTERS
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People walk through the snow-covered Trocadero garden in front of the Eiffel Tower Photo: REUTERS
5:43PM GMT 09 Dec 2010
Brice Hortefeux, the interior minister, asked drivers to leave their vehicles at home the day after more than four inches of snow fell on Paris, the most since 1987.
Thousands of passengers spent the night at Roissy Charles de Gaulle airport after their flights were cancelled, and thousands more stranded motorists were put up in municipal halls and school sports halls around the Paris region.
In Velizy, southwest of Paris, between 7,000 and 8,000 people spent the night in company offices, at a shopping centre and in a sports hall.
Middle East countries hit by storms - with video ~ link ~ Fierce winds and heavy rain and snow have lashed eastern Mediterranean and Middle Eastern countries for a second successive day. The storms have sunk a ship off the Israeli coast, closed ports and disrupted shipping in the Suez Canal. Flights have also been delayed to and from many airports in the region.
The storms have ended a long drought in Lebanon, Syria and Israel and come just a week after more than 40 people died in a forest fire. Waves of up to 10m (33ft) battered coasts, damaging fishing boats in Lebanon. In Syria, snow blanketed the streets of the capital, Damascus, and closed roads.
Sand and snow cause chaos in Middle East ~ link ~ Winds, rain, sandstorms and hail battered the southern and eastern Mediterranean on Sunday, killing at least five people, closing ports and disrupting traffic in the Suez Canal. Drought-stricken countries across the Middle East had been praying for rain for weeks when the weather turned violent at the weekend, with at least five people killed as gale-force winds and torrential rain pounded the coastline. Winds topped 100km/h and waves reached up to 10m tall as cities in Lebanon and Israel suffered power cuts.
A snowstorm lashed Damascus, disrupting traffic but also bringing some relief from drought which has gripped Syria for the past four years. UN estimates say the drought has affected around 1.3 million Syrians. Sandstorms also hit the desert countries of Jordan and Egypt and visibility deteriorated while temperatures plummeted. Jordan was also bracing for heavy rain and snow, which officials warned could lead to flooding.
In Egypt, the bad weather forced several ports to close and disrupted traffic in the Suez Canal, which links the Mediterranean to the Red Sea.
The waterway was hit by poor visibility and winds of up to 40 knots an hour, said an official at the canal, Egypt's third-largest source of foreign revenue after tourism and remittances from expatriate workers. The authorities barred south-bound ships from entering the waterway, and north-bound traffic from the Red Sea was limited
First the freeze ... now the floods: Thaw brings risk of burst pipes ~ link ~ Colder conditions are then set to return on Sunday and into next week, with more snow and ice expected up until Christmas.
UK NEWS
WEATHER: 35,000 DEATHS FEAR IN NEW ARCTIC BLIZZARDS link
Experts predict a dramatic increase in cold-related fatalities
Saturday December 11,2010
By Sarah Westcott
DEATH rates are set to soar “scandalously” this winter as a new Arctic blast batters Britain with temperatures on a par with Siberia.
Experts predict a dramatic increase in cold-related fatalities as we suffer the bitterest winter in a century, causing 12 deaths every hour.
Britons face spiralling energy bills while the death toll this winter could reach 35,000.
There are also fears some mail may not reach its destination by Christmas Day because of the freeze.
Forecasters said temperatures could plummet to record lows in the run-up to Christmas, putting tens of thousands of vulnerable people at risk.
Charities warned of pensioners suffering “Dickensian” conditions, resorting to riding on buses or huddling in shopping centres just to keep warm.
Millions of Britons are being forced to turn down their thermostats as gas and electricity prices spiral.
Jonathan Powell, senior forecaster with Positive Weather Solutions, said icy conditions were on the way back by the middle of next week after a brief weekend thaw. He said plummeting temperatures could even surpass the -27.2C (-17F) recorded in Braemar in 1982 – the coldest temperature in Britain.
Studies show a drop in temperature of just one degree is followed by 200 heart attacks. People aged between 75 and 84 and those with a history of heart disease appear to be most vulnerable.
Last year the number of deaths linked to the cold weather reached nearly 28,000 in four months, sparking claims that the UK has the highest winter death rate in northern Europe.
Neil Duncan-Jordan, of the National Pensioners Convention, said: “Rising bills and severe weather are going to put tremendous pressure on older people and we believe last year’s death rate of nine pensioners an hour could go up to 12 every single hour.
“It is a scandal that winter deaths are on the increase.”
Forecasters say bitterly cold winds are expected to return by the start of next week as bookmakers slash the odds for a white Christmas.
Jonathan Powell said the prolonged cold snap would leave Britain “the coldest country in the northern hemisphere” and “on a par with Siberia”. He said: “By next weekend, winds are turning northerly and there will be a true Arctic blast sweeping the country. Snow will fall as far as Bodmin in the South-west.
“The ice will cause substantial chaos through the festive period and bring the UK to a standstill.
“It will be a festive white-out with five to seven inches of snow in the east.”
The Arctic weather is causing Christmas post chaos, with delivery centres piling up with parcels and cards.
In Hull, people without post for 14 days claim Royal Mail told them they could not pick it up themselves because “their mail may not be there”.
Read more: http://www.express.co.uk/posts/view/216765/Weather-35-000-deaths-fear-in-new-Arctic-blizzardsWeather-35-000-deaths-fear-in-new-Arctic-blizzards#ixzz17yjt2bS9
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