Temperatures hit a record low for this year yesterday morning. Weather is improving the next two days.
Romania was still under the grip of snow and cold weather on Monday, following a night of extremely low temperatures. According to meteorologists, Sunday night set a record for this year, with lowest temperatures going down to 25C bellow zero. As usual, Miercurea Ciuc was the coldest area in the country. Also, in Brasov -19C was recorded while in Hargita and other northern areas thermometers showed – 20C.
The cold snap went onto the morning as well; some of the most important metropolitan areas saw temperatures of 15, even 18 degrees below freezing point. In Brasov, Iasi and Timisoara streets were deserted, with the exception of an occasional commuter.
Low temperatures especially hit the homeless. A 52 year old man in Tulcea was found dead in an improvised shelter. Also, two older people in Bistrita County, a 77 year old man and an 86 year old woman died of hypothermia, after being brought to hospital in serious condition. According to paramedics in Bistrita, the woman was found frozen in a house with no source of central heating while the man suffered kidney failure and respiratory arrest.
Although traffic has been improving since the first snowfall during the past weekend, several areas of the country were yesterday still under speed limit. In Hunedoara, Valcea, Covasna and Sibiu counties, there were still road segments posing difficulties to drivers, a release from traffic police informed. As usual, police urges drivers to be properly equipped upon starting on a trip and always be informed on traffic conditions and weather forecasts.
For most of the territory, however, there comes a two day period with rising temperatures and no real chances of snow. But, as of Thursday, the country will again fall under a wave of Arctic air, temperatures will drop ten degrees and snow is expected to fall in northern, central and south-eastern areas.
EUROPE STRUGGLES TO DIG AIRPORTS OUT OF SNOW AND ICE
Much of Europe remained paralyzed as a new wave of heavy snow and ice swept as far south as Italy, closing airports, roads and railway lines. Although a white Christmas appeared to be on the cards for much of northern Europe, the prospect brought little cheer to travelers struggling to reach home or holiday destinations. Increasingly desperate people struggled to get home Monday as Europe’s key airports tried to dig their way out of snow and ice, CNN reported in its online edition. Only one of London Heathrow’s two runways was operational Monday morning, a day after almost all flights at one of the world’s busiest international airports were canceled. Hundreds of thousands of people were left stranded over the weekend, with many sleeping at the airport. On Monday the airport said “only a handful” of flights were canceled. British Airways urged passengers not to go to Heathrow unless they know their flight is operating, and encouraged people who did not need to travel to cancel their flight or rebook it. And Frankfurt airport in Germany has called off 325 flights out of a scheduled 1,300 to 1,400, spokesman Robert Payne said. Some of that is because of the weather in Germany, and some of it is because of flight disruptions at other airports, he added. The airport, Europe’s third busiest, has 450 people working “around the clock, de-icing and removing snow,” he said.
Further snowfalls in the Paris region caused serious problems for drivers, and heavy goods vehicles were barred from major routes. Paris bus operator RATP cancelled a number of its services. In Britain, the Met Office has warned of more snow and ice in many parts of the country, BBC informed. Southern England and south Wales were expected to have 5-10cm of snowfall and there were also warnings of further heavy snow for much of Scotland and north-east England, with up to 10cm of snow expected in northern Scotland. The lowest UK temperature overnight, recorded in Chesham, Buckinghamshire, was thought to be -19.6C. Northern Ireland had another bitterly cold night, with -18C recorded at Castlederg in County Tyrone.
