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Mon, 04 Dec 2023
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More than normal influx of hungry short-eared owls to UK from Scandinavia

Amanda White and Kevin Shoesmith
BBC
Fri, 01 Dec 2023 15:28 UTC
Short-eared owls, like this one seen over Kent in October, are proving a hit with bird-watchers in East Yorkshire
© Gareth Fuller
Short-eared owls, like this one seen over Kent in October, are proving a hit with bird-watchers in East Yorkshire
An influx of short-eared owls along England's east coast has sparked interest among bird-watchers across the UK eager to see the visitors.

In recent weeks, large numbers of the owls have been spotted at places such as the banks of the Humber estuary.

Wildlife guide Margaret Boyd, from East Yorkshire, said "so many more than normal" had been spotted in the area.

A "shortage of food" in regions like Scandinavia was thought have left the owls looking further afield, she said.

According to the RSPB, short-eared owls were "of European conservation concern" as their numbers were in moderate decline.

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Snowflake

Heavy snowfall shuts down air, rail links in southern Germany


Al Jazeera
Sat, 02 Dec 2023 13:58 UTC
A man crosses a road early in the morning after heavy snowfall in Munich
© Matthias Schrader/AP
A man crosses a road early in the morning after heavy snowfall in Munich
Heavy snowfall overnight has paralysed air and rail connections in the southern German state of Bavaria, leaving thousands of travellers stranded.

All flights were grounded at Munich Airport, a key regional and international hub, until 6am (05:00) GMT on Sunday, the airport said. Air traffic had initially been suspended until noon (11:00 GMT) on Saturday.

"Passengers are strongly advised not to travel to the airport today [Saturday] and to check the status of their flight with their airline before travelling to the airport tomorrow," airport authorities said.

German airline Lufthansa noted the knock-on effect of the closure of Munich airport, saying that many other airports in Germany, including the one in Frankfurt "are affected with limited flight operations".

The severe weather, which is expected to continue, also disrupted rail services in Bavaria, with the main railway station in the capital, Munich, brought to a virtual standstill.

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Snowflake

Snow and gusty winds hit inactive volcano summit on Hawaii's Big Island


ABC 7 Chicago
Fri, 01 Dec 2023 10:42 UTC
Several inches of snow dumped on Hawaii's Maunakea, which has a peak of nearly 14,000 feet.

Several inches of snow dumped on Hawaii's Maunakea, which has a peak of nearly 14,000 feet.
Snow and gusty winds lashed the summit of an inactive volcano in Hawaii as a 'Kona low' low-pressure system brought stormy weather to the state.

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Snowflake Cold

Snowstorm causes massive power cuts across Ukraine - at least 10 dead (UPDATE)


BBC
Mon, 27 Nov 2023 13:08 UTC
Dozens of passengers in Ukraine have had to be rescued from vehicles stuck in heavy snow
© DSNS EMERGENCIES SERVICE
Dozens of passengers in Ukraine have had to be rescued from vehicles stuck in heavy snow
Snowstorms and strong winds have left more than 2,000 towns and villages without power across many regions of Ukraine, local officials say.

They say 48 people, including children, have been evacuated from trapped vehicles in the worst-affected Odesa region in the south-west.

At least six people have suffered from hypothermia. Traffic is currently blocked on 14 motorways.


Comment: Update November 28

CNN reports:
At least 10 people have died and thousands remain cut off from the power grid in Ukraine, in three days of stormy weather that has blanketed parts of the country in heavy snow, a senior official said Tuesday.

More than 400 settlements across 11 regions were without electricity, and more than 1,500 responders were trying to reach thousands of people in need of rescue, Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko wrote on Telegram, as fresh bouts of snow are expected to continue this week.

Another 23 were injured, including two children, Klymenko said Tuesday, adding the deaths were in Odesa, Kharkiv, Mykolaiv and Kyiv regions.

Videos showed Ukrainian police battling fierce winds as they pushed and towed cars back onto icy highways after they had slid off-road into ditches.


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Snowflake Cold

More than 40 inches of snow blankets the Northeast as arctic blast sweeps the US

Patrick Smith and Kathryn Prociv
NBC News
Wed, 29 Nov 2023 12:24 UTC
Heavy snow along Route 4 in Killington, Vt., on Tuesday.
© Killington Police Department
Heavy snow along Route 4 in Killington, Vt., on Tuesday.
Significant winter weather hit communities across the interior Northeast on Wednesday morning, causing at least one fatal road accident.

As expected, more than 40 inches of snow fell over the past two days over parts of the Great Lakes and interior Northeast in the first significant lake-effect snow event of the season.

The heaviest snowfall was recorded at Constableville, New York, where 42.7 inches landed.

All lake-effect snow warnings expired at 7 a.m. Wednesday. By the afternoon, the snow was winding down across the Great Lakes, with a few flurries or light snow showers trickling across lakes into northwest Pennsylvania and western New York. Heavy snowfall is not expected through the rest of Wednesday, but 1 or 2 inches of snow will still be possible.

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Snowflake

One of snowiest ever Novembers in the Alps


snow-forecast.com
Wed, 29 Nov 2023 13:15 UTC
mmmm
It's still early-days but this months snowfall in the Alps appears to have laid the base for a great start to the season, with high resorts like Val Thorens saying they already have enough snow to see them through the whole season ahead.

The past week has seen more big accumulations of typically 50-100cm (20-40″) on high slopes, 10-20cm (4-8″) at resort level, the latest is a month which began with big snowfalls too.

It's all very different to the start of last season when ski areas struggled for cover below 1,800m altitude. It also comes after a warmest and dry first half of autumn/fall.


Tignes is pictured above after fresh snow yesterday, Avoriaz below after a snowfall on November 6th.
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Snowflake Cold

Moscow hit by rare 'black blizzard'


The Press United
Mon, 27 Nov 2023 12:17 UTC
MMMMMMMM
Heavy snowfall that started in the Russian capital overnight is expected to continue into Tuesday

Moscow is already going through its first major snowfall. Meteorologists have described the weather pattern over the Russian capital as a "black blizzard" - a phenomenon usually encountered in the Far North, when snowflakes fly almost parallel to the surface, decreasing visibility to around 100 meters.

The snowfall that started on Sunday intensified overnight, with 35% of the monthly average of precipitation already falling in the city, according to the FOBOS weather center.

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Snowflake

Heavy snowfall in Romania, Bulgaria and Moldova leaves 1 person dead and many without electricity


AP
Sun, 26 Nov 2023 11:42 UTC
A man shovels snow, as he tries to clear his car in town of Isperih, Northeast Bulgaria, Sunday, Nov. 26, 2023.
© Bulgarian News Agency
A man shovels snow, as he tries to clear his car in town of Isperih, Northeast Bulgaria, Sunday, Nov. 26, 2023.
Heavy snowfall and strong blizzards in Romania and Moldova on Sunday left one person dead and hundreds of localities without electricity, as well as forcing the closure of some national roads, authorities said.

A 40-year-old man in Moldova died on Sunday after the vehicle he was in skidded off the road and crashed into a tree, Moldova's national police said, adding that six road accidents had been reported by about midday.

"We repeatedly appeal to drivers not to hit the road with unequipped cars and to drive at low speed," Moldovan police said in a statement posted on Telegram, and warned against driving "without an urgent need."

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Snowflake Cold

Thing of the past returns

Tony Heller
Real Climate Science
Sun, 26 Nov 2023 22:29 UTC
Lots of snow forecast for the UK this week, 24 years after the end of snow.

UK Weather Mp
© Snow Forecast.com
Weather Map and Snow Conditions for United Kingdom
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Arrow Down

Avalanche in Iran kills 5 mountain climbers, injures another 4 after recent heavy rain and snow


VOA
Sun, 26 Nov 2023 13:57 UTC
MMMMM
An avalanche killed five mountain climbers and injured four others from an all-Iranian climbing team in west Iran, state media reported on Saturday.

A report by the state-owned IRNA news agency said rescue teams recovered the bodies of five climbers from San Boran peak, some 300 kilometers (186 miles) southwest of the capital, Tehran. The injured climbers were taken to hospital.

The report said the nine-member team of climbers began their journey on Thursday despite a warning by local authorities about possible risk. The peak, the highest of the Oshtrankooh mountain range at 4,150 meters (13,615 feet), witnessed heavy rain and snow in recent weeks.

Iran has occasionally seen deadly avalanches. In 2020, a series of avalanches killed 12 people in a mountainous area north of Tehran.


AP
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