© Alfredo Dagli OrtiRex/Shutterstock
The Rök stone in Sweden bears the longest runic inscription in the world.
The Rök stone in Sweden bears the longest runic inscription in the world.
Extreme Temperatures
Many vegetable fields in the Spanish Region of Murcia have been flooded after more than two days of intense rainfall.
The abundant water covering part of the leafy vegetable crops, as well as the broccoli, cauliflower and artichoke fields, is making it difficult to carry out the harvesting tasks. For many producers, it will be impossible to enter the fields in the next few days, so delays in harvests and shipments are expected.
The intense cold and the cloudy days are slowing down the vegetative growth, which is taking a toll on the supply. This is significant, taking into account that Murcia is the main producer for this type of vegetables in Europe during the winter months. Broccoli and cauliflower prices are the ones that have risen the most so far since the temperatures started falling.
Comment: ...for the fourth year running:
- 2019: The worst April storm in 73 years hits Costa Blanca, Spain - Cities of Valencia and Alicante flooded
- 2018: Intense hailstorm hits Valencia, Spain affecting 11,000 ha (27,200 acres) of crops, damage up to €47 million (US$58 million)
- 2017: Hailstorms hammer vineyards, almond orchards in Valencia, Spain
"The safety of the traveling public is our top priority, so WSDOT will close the highway at milepost 37, east of Glacier, at 4 a.m. due to anticipated avalanche risk," WSDOT spokeswoman Andrea Petrich said in an email.
Mount Baker Highway, also called state Highway 542, was last closed for avalanche danger in 2009, Petrich said.
A powerful sub-tropical storm is dumping rain in the Whatcom County lowlands and heavy snow in the higher elevations of the North Cascades, the Nation Weather Service said in online forecasts.
Breckenridge Ski Resort received 15 inches of fresh powder over the last 24 hours, with 10 inches of fresh flakes falling overnight and 5 more inches of snow Thursday morning (and counting).
Eleven lifts are spinning, with more than 2,700 acres and 171 trails open for exploring.
Hooting and hollering with 1️⃣5️⃣" of fresh and counting. #Breck #GoPro pic.twitter.com/Bf4d5cTrIW
— Breckenridge Resort (@breckenridgemtn) January 23, 2020
Les Angles
After a generally dry and sunny start to the year across most of Europe, forecasters had been predicting the storm that has hit the Pyrenees this week might bring up to a metre of snowfall, but in the event up to 1.8 metres (six feet) has been reported at some areas on the French side.
Les Angles, pictured above and top with ski star Wadeck Gorak wading through the snow there, was one of the big winners reporting 1.2 metres (Four feet) of snow on lower slopes and 1.5 metres (Five feet) on higher slopes by midday yesterday with the snow still falling.
Iguanas falling from trees in South Florida
The National Weather Service in Miami issued a "falling iguanas" alert on Tuesday.
"This isn't something we usually forecast, but don't be surprised if you see Iguanas falling from the trees tonight as lows drop into the 30s and 40s," the agency tweeted Tuesday. "Brrrr!"
Some residents of South Florida tweeted photos and videos of cold-stunned iguanas Wednesday morning.
© Al Rai
Tafileh witnessed heavy snowfall on Tuesday
Tafileh witnessed heavy snowfall on Tuesday
The ministry published the announcement at 7:56AM, after many teachers and students had already left their homes to begin the school day at 9am, as per the government's previous announcement on Monday.
"The decision did not consider those who left before 8am and waited in the cold for transportation, nor many of the students who left because their parents did not know about the decision," Ahmad Ameer commented on the ministry's official Facebook page.
"This decision should have been taken yesterday [Monday], as most students left and came back home. It was confusing," another comment said.
Petra witnessed heavy snowfall early in the morning, according to a Facebook post by the Petra Development and Tourism Region Authority (PDTRA), which noted that the site was open to tourists as usual.
© Larch Hills Nordic Society
A crew removes downed trees from Larch Hills cross-country ski area trails.
A crew removes downed trees from Larch Hills cross-country ski area trails.
"It's been really difficult," said Larch Hills Nordic Society president Ed Bouma. "I would say we've probably removed between 700 and 800 trees so far, and they're still coming down."
Bouma says it won't be until the summer when trees downed on some of the trails that aren't trackset can be removed.
Volunteers with the necessary experience have been assisting with the tree removal - a job that is not without risk. For example, while two people were cutting up two trees near one another on Larch Hills Road, another tree fell between them.
Heavy rain of up to 200mm, 1.5 metres of snow and ice, and strong winds of up to 110kph, hit last night in the Pyrénées-Orientales (Occitanie) area (Monday January 20).
Roads including the A9 motorway are closed today (Tuesday January 21), including between France and Spain from Perpignan-Nord. The RD914 between Cerbère and Banyuls is also shut, as is the RN 116.
At least a foot of snow covers a driveway, gate and trees in Biar, Alicante. It is several kilometres inland from the coast
Flights to London, Newcastle, Bristol, Edinburgh and other major cities were cancelled as the airport shut for the day, forcing holidaymakers to either travel to a different airport or sit tight until the dangerous weather moved on.
Towering waves have been pictured slamming into the coastline while, in Denia, seawater was filmed gushing through the streets of the city.
Snow drifts have also built up inland as a seven-hour shower in Villena, Valencia, left the city's 35,000 inhabitants cut off after up to three inch piles of the white stuff blocked roads.
A red alert was issued for Storm Gloria yesterday, before it smashed into the region, warning it would bring heavy rain, snow, up to 75mph winds and waves that could reach eight feet in height.
Comment: Videos of the giant waves on the island of Mallorca:
Mallorca pic.twitter.com/kZC9meh40W
— O 🇪🇸 (@OJICID1) January 21, 2020
WOW!!! Incredible sized waves on the coast of #Mallorca, Balearic islands, Spain this afternoon 21st of January! Video via 📸 Moltabarra Instagram https://t.co/592gSW7QO1 #severeweather #ExtremeWeather #StormGloria pic.twitter.com/hH1OQ7zgnd
— WEATHER/ METEO WORLD (@StormchaserUKEU) January 21, 2020
Comment: Recurring, natural climate change: 9th century Viking runestone records fears of '3-year-long winter'