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29
Six people die as snow, ice and freezing temperatures wreak havoc in Europe (www.theguardian.com)
submitted 1 month ago by roserose56@lemmy.zip to c/europe@feddit.org
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Authorities in the Landes region of south-west France said three people died and 15 were injured in road accidents on Tuesday, while two more were killed in accidents in the Paris area. One driver died in hospital on Monday night after veering into the Marne River and another was killed after a collision with a heavy goods vehicle in the east of the French capital.

In the Bosnian capital of Sarajevo, a woman died on Monday after a snow-covered tree branch fell on her head.

Many flights will be cancelled from Paris’s two main airports, Roissy-Charles de Gaulle and Orly, early on Wednesday to allow ground crews to clear snow from runways and de-ice planes. About 40% of flights at Charles de Gaulle were expected to be scrapped and 25% at Orly.

In the Netherlands, hundreds of flights were cancelled at Amsterdam’s Schiphol airport as staff worked to clear runways and de-ice planes. Rail travellers in the country faced chaos after domestic services were suspended early on Tuesday due to an IT outage, compounding the disruption caused by the weather.

Freezing temperatures have gripped much of Europe, with the thermometer plunging well below -10C (14F) in south and east Germany early on Tuesday. German meteorologists have forecast a storm in the country on Friday, with heavy snowfall expected in the north and east.

In Britain, temperatures fell to -12.5C overnight, with snow disrupting rail, road and air travel and forcing the closure of hundreds of schools across northern regions.

Temperatures in lowland areas of northern Italy have fallen below freezing, with snow expected in the medium- to low-altitude areas of Emilia-Romagna, Marche and Tuscany on Tuesday.

Heavy snow and heavy rain have swept through Balkan countries, swelling rivers and causing traffic problems and disrupting power and water supplies.

In Serbia, some local authorities in the country’s west introduced emergency measures due to the severe weather while warning drivers to take care as many set off toward skiing resorts or elsewhere for Orthodox Christmas on Wednesday and the upcoming weekend.

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[–] copacetic@discuss.tchncs.de 15 points 1 month ago (2 children)

In 2024 in France 3193 people died in road accidents, which is ~9 per day. So in terms of road accidents it was just another Tuesday?

[–] A_norny_mousse@feddit.org 5 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago)

My first thought, too. "Compared to what?"

[–] trollercoaster@sh.itjust.works 3 points 1 month ago

shouldn't even count the road accidents as victims of the weather, then, because that's very well within the statistical uncertainty.

[–] A_norny_mousse@feddit.org 10 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago) (2 children)

Here, in Southern Finland, the last few Januaries have been way too warm, snowing/melting all the time. Now it's a consistent -5°C - -10°C, which is, at least historically, totally adequate for this time of year.

There were some strong winds though.

How bad is it elsewhere?

I am of course not dismissing climate change, but the tragedy here seems to be that people have forgotten how to properly prepare for a normal winter. Not that that was ever a thing in, say, Germany, where I used to live.

[–] Ibuthyr@feddit.org 3 points 1 month ago (1 children)

Northern Germany here, winter went fairly normal. People have weird memories as they get older, claiming to have had white Christmases every year when they were kids. In reality, there were a grand total of 2 white Christmases here since weather data was recorded. We had a fair amount of snow the last couple of days and the temperatures were nice and cold.

Summers are getting weird however. Not exactly hot or anything, but whatever the weather is like, it remains that way for a long time. Summers seem to be less dynamic. So you either get sun without rain for weeks on end, or you get shit weather for weeks.

[–] A_norny_mousse@feddit.org 1 points 1 month ago

Summers in Cologne used to be cruel even in the nineties; from waht my family are reporting it has gotten so much worse.

[–] 0x0 2 points 1 month ago

Ignoring the fact that Sweden saw almost no snow until January which made December feel like late autumn, the temperature is as usual like yours right now. Winter just seems to arrive a bit later every year.

[–] trollercoaster@sh.itjust.works 9 points 1 month ago (1 children)

Humanity took a wrong turn some time in the last few decades.

Not too long ago, this would have been considered a normal winter. Now apparently entire countries and their populations have lost the ability to cope with relatively benign winter weather.

[–] grue@lemmy.world 4 points 1 month ago (1 children)

Don't worry, once the AMOC collapses Europe will get a rude reminder of what real winter is like.

[–] trollercoaster@sh.itjust.works 3 points 1 month ago

By that time the austerity fetishists in control virtually everywhere will have sold off the last snow plow.