Britain is in the grip of the longest cold snap for more than 10 years as forecasters predict another week of freezing temperatures.
Cold, mainly dry and frosty conditions, which set in on Boxing Day, are likely to continue for at least seven days as the weather is dominated by a huge region of high pressure coming from the Continent.
For this time of year, forecasters say it is likely to be the longest prolonged spell of cold weather - where temperatures barely rise above zero centigrade (32F) - since 1996.
Usually long spells of cold weather occur around February when the effect of warming from the Atlantic sea is reduced.
"We have another five to seven days of colder weather still to come which will make it the longest spell since 1996 at this early stage of winter," said Philip Eden, the Daily Telegraph weather correspondent.
Earth Changes
Here is the latest on the earthquake swarms at Yellowstone:
1) The Yellowstone Volcano Observatory put out an update yesterday evening
1) The Yellowstone Volcano Observatory put out an update yesterday evening
Yellowstone Lake Earthquake Swarm Update: 2 January 2008
The University of Utah Seismograph Stations reports that as of 1800 MST on 2 January 2009, seismicity of the ongoing Yellowstone earthquake swarm continues. Over 500 earthquakes, as large as M 3.9, have been recorded by an automated earthquake system since the inception of this unusual earthquake sequence that began Dec. 27, 2008. More than 300 of these events have been reviewed and evaluated by seismic analysts. Depths of the earthquakes range from ~ 1km to around 10 km. We note that the earthquakes extend northward from central Yellowstone Lake for ~10 km toward the Fishing Bridge area, with a migration of recent earthquakes toward the north. Some of the dozen M3+ earthquakes were felt in the Lake, Grant Village and Old Faithful areas. Personnel of the Yellowstone Volcano Observatory continue to evaluate this earthquake sequence and will provide information to the NPS, USGS and the public as it evolves.
Fairbaks - Friday marked day six of the worst cold snap to hit Fairbanks in several years and there is no relief in sight for residents who live in Alaska's second-largest city - or the business owners they call to bail them out when their cars, pipes and septic tanks freeze.
"Aarrgh," is how Dee Born, owner of Homestead Pumping and Thawing in North Pole, put it on Thursday afternoon while dealing with a waiting list that was about three days long. "As soon as it touched 50 below, the phones were ringing."
The temperature in North Pole dipped to 55 degrees below zero on Wednesday night, the lowest temperature recorded in the greater Fairbanks area during what has been six days of severe cold. It was "only" 46 below at 4 p.m. Friday in North Pole, but the temperature was "dropping by the hour," meteorologist Austin Cross at the National Weather Service in Fairbanks said.
"Aarrgh," is how Dee Born, owner of Homestead Pumping and Thawing in North Pole, put it on Thursday afternoon while dealing with a waiting list that was about three days long. "As soon as it touched 50 below, the phones were ringing."
The temperature in North Pole dipped to 55 degrees below zero on Wednesday night, the lowest temperature recorded in the greater Fairbanks area during what has been six days of severe cold. It was "only" 46 below at 4 p.m. Friday in North Pole, but the temperature was "dropping by the hour," meteorologist Austin Cross at the National Weather Service in Fairbanks said.
Comment: Gotta hand it to those Alaskans, after all the horror stories of dealing with the bitter cold - "consuming alcohol makes cold injuries more likely and can impair judgment."
Anchorage: Frigid temperatures forced organizers of the U.S. Cross Country Championship sprint race to cancel the event Saturday.
Race organizers hoped to hold the sprint races on Sunday, if the cold snap that has gripped much of Alaska for the past week loosens its grip a bit.
Forecasters, however, said the bitterly cold weather was expected to continue.
After several delays in which race organizers kept an eye on the temperature, the race at Kincaid Park was canceled mid-afternoon. Organizers watched as the mercury rose from 13 degrees below zero to about 6 below zero.
In the end, it wasn't enough, said race spokesman John Quinley. The cutoff for running the race is 4 degrees below zero.
Race organizers hoped to hold the sprint races on Sunday, if the cold snap that has gripped much of Alaska for the past week loosens its grip a bit.
Forecasters, however, said the bitterly cold weather was expected to continue.
After several delays in which race organizers kept an eye on the temperature, the race at Kincaid Park was canceled mid-afternoon. Organizers watched as the mercury rose from 13 degrees below zero to about 6 below zero.
In the end, it wasn't enough, said race spokesman John Quinley. The cutoff for running the race is 4 degrees below zero.
Lucknow: Near-freezing temperatures and fog have killed another 20 people in northern India, raising the death toll to 34 since the start of the new year, a government official said Sunday.
The deaths occurred over the weekend as nighttime temperatures dipped to 39 degrees Fahrenheit (4 degrees Celsius) in parts of the region, which is used to short and mild winters.
Those killed have mostly been beggars or impoverished migrant workers who often sleep in the open, with only plastic sheets or jute cloth sacks for cover.
A 72-year-old woman and her two young grandchildren died overnight when her thatched hut caught fire after she lit a bonfire to keep the family warm in Kanpur, an industrial town in Uttar Pradesh state, said Surendra Srivastava, a police spokesman.
Police recorded 14 other cold-related deaths Saturday and Sunday in the state's Gorakhpur, Lucknow, Mahoba, Sant Kabirnagar and Barabanki districts, Srivastava told The Associated Press.
The deaths occurred over the weekend as nighttime temperatures dipped to 39 degrees Fahrenheit (4 degrees Celsius) in parts of the region, which is used to short and mild winters.
Those killed have mostly been beggars or impoverished migrant workers who often sleep in the open, with only plastic sheets or jute cloth sacks for cover.
A 72-year-old woman and her two young grandchildren died overnight when her thatched hut caught fire after she lit a bonfire to keep the family warm in Kanpur, an industrial town in Uttar Pradesh state, said Surendra Srivastava, a police spokesman.
Police recorded 14 other cold-related deaths Saturday and Sunday in the state's Gorakhpur, Lucknow, Mahoba, Sant Kabirnagar and Barabanki districts, Srivastava told The Associated Press.
© USGS
Northeastern Nevada, US
Northeastern Nevada, US
Date-Time
* Sunday, January 04, 2009 at 15:29:20 UTC
* Sunday, January 04, 2009 at 07:29:20 AM at epicenter
Location 41.693°N, 114.405°W
Depth 0 km (~0 mile) set by location program
Region NEVADA
Distances
* 30 km (18 miles) SE (131°) from San Jacinto, NV
* 41 km (26 miles) NE (44°) from Wilkins, NV
* 50 km (31 miles) NNW (327°) from Tecoma, NV
* 80 km (50 miles) NE (36°) from Wells, NV
* 110 km (68 miles) NNW (345°) from West Wendover, NV
* 235 km (146 miles) WNW (297°) from Salt Lake City, UT
Several parts of Pakistan, including the federal capital were on Sunday rocked by a moderate earthquake measuring 5.9 on the Richter scale.
The quake, which had its epicentre in the Hindu Kush mountain range and occurred at about 1.30 am, shook Islamabad, the North West Frontier Province, Pakistan-occupied Kashmir and parts of Punjab province, the local met office said.
There were no reports of loss of life or damage to property.
The quake, which had its epicentre in the Hindu Kush mountain range and occurred at about 1.30 am, shook Islamabad, the North West Frontier Province, Pakistan-occupied Kashmir and parts of Punjab province, the local met office said.
There were no reports of loss of life or damage to property.
A powerful earthquake measured 6.2-magnitude hit northeastern Afghanistan, in the wee hours of Sunday, according to the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS).
It occurred at around 12:53 a.m. local time (2020 GMT) at the depth of 220.8 km when the quake shocked the Hindu Kush Region, some 255 km northeast from the Afghan capital Kabul, recorded by the USGS website.
People in Kabul could feel house rattling quickly which last for some 30 seconds.
There were no immediate reports of injuries or damage.
It occurred at around 12:53 a.m. local time (2020 GMT) at the depth of 220.8 km when the quake shocked the Hindu Kush Region, some 255 km northeast from the Afghan capital Kabul, recorded by the USGS website.
People in Kabul could feel house rattling quickly which last for some 30 seconds.
There were no immediate reports of injuries or damage.
An earthquake measuring 6.4 on the Richter scale rocked the Kashmir valley early on Sunday, jolting residents out of their sleep in panic.
"A 6.4 quake struck the Valley at 1.53am on Sunday. The epicentre of the quake was located in the Hindukush region with latitude 36.5 degrees north and longitude 70.8 degrees east," an official of the weather office here said.
There were no reports of damage to life and property.
"A 6.4 quake struck the Valley at 1.53am on Sunday. The epicentre of the quake was located in the Hindukush region with latitude 36.5 degrees north and longitude 70.8 degrees east," an official of the weather office here said.
There were no reports of damage to life and property.
At least four people have been killed and dozens injured after a series of powerful earthquakes hit eastern Indonesia, officials say.
The strongest tremor, with a magnitude of 7.6, struck north of the city of Manokwari in West Papua province at 0443 (1943 GMT on Saturday).
It was followed by another big quake and a string of aftershocks.
Witnesses said the tremors triggered mass panic in Manokwari, where several buildings were flattened.
© BBC News
A number of buildings collapsed in Manokwari
A number of buildings collapsed in Manokwari
It was followed by another big quake and a string of aftershocks.
Witnesses said the tremors triggered mass panic in Manokwari, where several buildings were flattened.
Comment: Ah, Scientific American. Doing their bit to put the sheeple to sleep on this threat as well as the one from cometary impacts.