Posted on 01/30/2012 1:46:51 PM PST by Signalman
BELGRADE, Serbia (AP) - A severe and snowy cold snap across central and eastern Europe has left at least 36 people dead, cut off power to towns, and snarled traffic. Officials are responding with measures ranging from opening shelters to dispensing hot tea, with particular concern for the homeless and elderly.
This part of Europe is not unused to cold, but the current freeze, which spread to most of the region last week, came after a period of relatively mild weather. Many were shocked when temperatures in some parts plunged Monday to minus 20 Celsius (minus 4 Fahrenheit).
"Just as we thought we could get away with a spring-like winter ..." lamented Jelena Savic, 43, from the Serbian capital of Belgrade, her head wrapped in a shawl with only eyes uncovered. "I'm freezing. It's hard to get used to it so suddenly."
Officials have appealed to people to stay indoors and be careful. Police searched for the homeless to make sure they didn't freeze to death. In some places, heaters will be set up at bus stations.
Still, 18 people, most of them homeless, died in Ukraine from hypothermia and nearly 500 people sought medical help for frostbite and hypothermia in just three days last week, the Emergency Situations Ministry said.
Temperatures in parts of Ukraine fell to minus 16 C (3 F) during the day and minus 23 C (minus 10 F) in the night. Authorities opened 1,500 shelters to provide food and heat and closed schools and nurseries. More than 17,000 people have sought help in such shelters in the past three days, authorities said.
In Poland, at least 10 people froze to death as the cold reached minus 26 C (minus 15 F) on Monday.
(Excerpt) Read more at apnews.myway.com ...
When winter strikes.....in winter! News at 11.
Meanwhile the tree frogs have been fooled into coming out because the weather is so mild in Tennessee. No snow this winter for us.
Just wait until spring and summer when we’re swarmed with zillions of bugs! LOL!
I have to say I’ve enjoyed our mild winter - - I HATE the cold. But we need cold weather to help keep the bug population down. With the back of our farm dropping off into a lake, our mosquito population is going to be horrendous this year. UGH!
It’s been a strange winter. Some areas are warmish and others are freezing and buried in snow. Last winter, we were cold and had a lot of snow.
I wonder what Mother Nature has in store for us next. 8-/
Given my screen name I’m always interested in articles with titles that have 36 in them.
Ya see! Europe started that “go green” stuff first, they went overboard, and now look what’s happening - they did too much and now it’s getting colder!
-25C in Warsaw two hours ago.
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