Extreme cold weather to attack Europe
After one week of cold weather hit parts of Eastern Europe causing many casualties, extreme cold weather began to spread to Western Europe since Saturday, February 4, 2012. Britain’s Meteorological Services issued a yellow warning lights to the citizens to be aware of the very heavy snow across the region the United Kingdom. Weather experts of UK Meteorological Services, Steve Randall said that the thickness of the snow will fall an estimated 15 cm. The temperature during the day are expected to drop to minus 9 degrees celsius. He also added that there will be rain moving to the east which will turn into snow and sleet.
Rain, sleet and snow will be replaced with the weather that dry and freeze at night. A thin layer of slippery snow expected to hit many areas. Extreme weather such attacks, it is estimated by Weather Services International (WSI) will occur starting in late January this year. According to the office based in the United States, the cold weather will begin to invade Europe in late January.
The forecast proved correct. The report is very thick snow attacks first hit the Romanian state on Thursday, January 26, 2012. Since then similar reports came from virtually the entire Eastern European region. The agency estimates that super cold weather and heavy snow will blanket Europe until spring that falls around the month of April.
WSI Chief Meteorologist, Todd Crawford said that in February or early March, the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) condition is expected very negative. According to weather experts, the negative NAO temperature typically shows a more extreme winters in Europe. At this very negative point, far below normal temperatures will catch most of Europe until the coming of spring.
Following the arrival of supercooled weather, British authorities have issued a warning, particularly to organizations that care for the elderly and sick like Age UK. Department of Transportation has kept salt supplies throughout the UK to more than 2.4 million tons in anticipation of prolonged bad weather. Salts are used to spread on the streets, to melt the snow.
City Council Member, Peter Box, who is also head of the Economy and Transport UK said that they had received recent reports from the weather experts. Therefore he is always alert their crew, to provide service to the community. He also reminded the community to work together and keep the neighbors who are vulnerable to cold temperatures. Workers at the state council will send food, blankets, medicines, portable heaters and organize the examination of the frail residents, to ensure they would pass the winter extremes in Europe safely.
In the midst of the threat of heavy snow, the energy crisis is also threatening Europe. Gas supply comes from Russia reportedly reduced by 30%. Poland, Slovakia, Romania, Greece and Italy are the countries most affected by these reductions.