Storms
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Snowflake Cold

Winter storm blasts Canadian Maritime provinces with heavy snow, high winds


The Globe and Mail
Sun, 15 Dec 2013 11:05 UTC
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© AARON HARRIS/REUTERSMark Hughes, right, and son Emmet Hughes toboggan during a snowstorm in Toronto on Dec. 14, 2013.
Flights were grounded at airports across the Maritimes on Sunday as a powerful winter storm blew through the region, knocking out power and causing dangerous driving conditions.

Winter storm warnings blanketed Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island and most of New Brunswick as the intense storm blasted the provinces with heavy snow and high winds.

"It's a large storm that's affecting probably 80 or 90 per cent of the Maritime provinces," Environment Canada meteorologist Jean-Marc Couturier said in an interview on Sunday. "It's a large storm with a lot of punch, a lot of vigour."

Couturier said up to 30 centimetres of snow was expected for parts of Nova Scotia, with the snow changing to a mixture of ice pellets and freezing rain Sunday afternoon.

Southern New Brunswick was expected to get up to 40 centimetres of snow, while northern parts of the province would see up to 20 centimetres.

Up to 35 centimetres of snow was forecast for P.E.I. before the storm passed through Nova Scotia and tracked towards Newfoundland overnight Sunday.
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Cloud Precipitation

Storm Scotland: 80mph gales warning after day of disruption


The Herald Scotland
Sun, 15 Dec 2013 00:00 UTC
scotland storms
© John MoncriefStormy weather: Residents of coastal areas warned of flood risk.
Scotland is braced for more severe weather today with warnings of gale-force winds and flooding in the north and west.

Gusts could reach more than 80mph in some exposed areas as a storm sweeps past the country, the Met Office said. Yellow "be aware" warnings of high winds are in place for the Highlands, Western Isles, Orkney, Shetland and Argyll and Bute. Gales and large waves could result in flooding at high tide along the west coast, the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (Sepa) said.

It has put flood alerts - warning of the possibility of flooding - in place for coastal areas in the north and west. Several flood warnings - indicating that flooding is expected - are also in force for parts of Tayside along the rivers Earn and Lyon. Heavy rain was expected to continue to fall until early this morning in the area and low-lying land could be at risk, Sepa said.

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Snowflake Cold

Toronto under snowfall warning as winter storm hits city

Chris Fox
CP24
Mon, 02 Dec 2013 15:40 UTC
snow2
© Twitter.com/@sickjalapenoSnow is seen falling in the downtown core Saturday afternoon in this photo submitted by a viewer.

Toronto and Peel region are under a snowfall warning as the first winter storm of the season bears down on the city. The storm is expected to dump between 15 and 20 cm of snow on the GTA between now and Sunday morning with the most intense snowfall likely occurring later this evening.

A winter storm watch is also in effect for Oakville, Burlington and Hamilton where cold easterly winds and extra moisture from the relatively mild lake water could result in even more snow, according to Environment Canada.

"The snowfall amounts could range from 15-20 cm here in Toronto and other areas towards Eastern Ontario may receive upwards of 30 cm," CP24 Weather Specialist Jamie Gutfreund said Saturday morning. "Wind speeds are also going to be gusting up to 50 km/h and because of those winds we could see blowing or drifting snow and that could reduce visibility on the roads."


Comment: Get ready, Toronto. Here it comes.

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Cloud Lightning

Storm Ivar leaves 55,000 homes without power in Sweden


thelocal.se
Thu, 12 Dec 2013 08:51 UTC
Tens of thousands were left without electricity on Friday morning after a storm nicknamed Ivar swept in over the north. Pre-schools and schools will remain shut until Monday.

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© TTStorm waves near Östersunde on Thursday night.
The winds damaged roofs, forced police to close off roads and the Höga Kusten bridge, while one man was taken to hospital with serious damage to his torso after a tree fell on top of him. The hospital in Öresund said the man's injuries were serious but not life-threatening.

By morning, about 55,000 homes were without electricity in the county of Norrland. Customers of energy companies Eon, Härjeåns Nät, Fortum, and Jämtkraft have all been affected, including several schools and pre-schools in and around Ånge and Fränsta. Pupils will be allowed to return by Monday.

Police in the town of Östersund counted at least a hundred incidents related to the storm.

"There was a lot of pressure for a while," duty officer Hans Ängquist told the TT news agency. He said that by 2am the storm had abated and the police returned to regular duties.

A spokesman for Västernorrland regional police said residents were well prepared for the storm, but it had nonetheless caused a lot of damage to powerlines, roofs, and cars.

Energy company Eon has sent out a shoal of workers to repair the damaged power lines.

"In total, we have 300 people who are either out there now or going out tomorrow," Eon spokeswoman Louise Gudmundson told TT.
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Snowflake

Winter storm pummels Middle East

Rana Moussaoui
newsinfo.inquirer.ne
Fri, 13 Dec 2013 08:10 UTC
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A Syrian refugee man holds his son near his tent as a heavy snowstorm batters the region, in a camp for Syrians who fled their country’s civil war, in the Chouf mountain town of Ketermaya, Lebanon, Wednesday, Dec. 11, 2013. The United Nations refugee agency says it is “extremely concerned” for hundreds of thousands of Syrian refugees scattered across the region amid a snowstorm with high winds and torrential rains
A bruising winter storm brought severe weather to the Middle East Thursday, forcing the closure of roads and schools and blanketing already miserable Syrian refugee camps with snow.

The nearly three-year-old conflict in Syria has killed an estimated 126,000 people and displaced millions, including more than two million who have fled across the borders and thousands who are living in makeshift camps.

Footage posted online by activists showed war-battered areas of Syria shrouded in snow, and at least two children have died from the cold, according to a spokesman for the opposition National Coalition.

Bad weather also delayed the first-ever international UN airlift, set to leave the Kurdish region of northern Iraq for Qamishli in northeastern Syria.

"When it will start is difficult to say - I think the authorities in Qamishli are going to check conditions at the airfield on Friday," UN refugee agency (UNHCR) regional spokesman Peter Kessler told AFP.

Heavy snow in Turkey forced the cancellation of scores of flights and caused major disruption to road and sea traffic.

In tent camps across Lebanon, thousands of Syrian refugees huddled on muddy floors under plastic sheeting that provided little relief from the icy winds.
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Cloud Lightning

Freak storm to batter Britain: 100mph winds and downpours to cause chaos

Nathan Rao
The Express, UK
Fri, 13 Dec 2013 07:49 UTC
Another freak storm is set to sweep Britain next week as our topsy-turvy weather continues.

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© GETTYForecaster warns 'we are heading into an unsettled period'
Torrential rain and 100mph gales are expected to topple trees, bring down power lines and damage buildings.

And forecasters warn that this time there will be no let-up until Christmas.

As parts of the country were still struggling yesterday to clear up the damage caused by last week's storm and devastating tidal surge, there were reports of 80mph winds next week with 100mph storm-force gusts likely to lash areas of the North.

After a few days of relatively calm, foggy weather, Leon Brown, forecaster for The Weather Channel, said a shift in the jet stream would turn things more unsettled over the weekend.

He warned Britain could feel the full brunt of the storm by Wednesday with gales continuing until Christmas.

"There is a 30 to 40 per cent risk of severe gales for central and southern Britain on Thursday as a deep area of low pressure tracks east to Scotland," he said.

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© SWNSMist shrouds countryside near Ashford as a few days of calm weather precede next week’s big storm
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Cloud Lightning

Tourists warned to stay indoors as Canary Islands are battered by wind and heavy rain - 'highest ever severe weather alert'

Sarah Gordon
The Daily Mail, UK
Thu, 12 Dec 2013 12:38 UTC
Holidaymakers in the Canary Islands have been warned not to go out after the popular holiday destination was hit by dangerously high winds and rain. The government issued itshighest ever severe weather alert for the Canaries as a storm hit yesterday, leaving the southern part of Tenerife under water.

The gale force winds and driving rain are expected to continue battering the Canaries until Friday and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) has warned British tourists to follow local safety advice.

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Dark days: The Canary Islands have been hit by heavy rain and strong winds, prompting warnings for tourists and locals to stay inside
The FCO said: 'A severe weather warning has been issued for the Canary Islands, with gale-force winds and heavy rain expected to affect the area until Friday 13 December. Some airport and port services are disrupted. Local authorities advise that tourists and residents remain indoors.'

Local press has reported that around 30,000 people on Tenerife have been left without electricity, while the emergency services in the capital Santa Cruz received around 140 call-outs in just four hours overnight.
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Snowflake Cold

Rare snowstorm near Syria-Lebanon border brings havoc, disrupts aid


Russia Today
Wed, 11 Dec 2013 22:42 UTC
lebanon snow storm
© AFP Photo / STRA Syrian refugee shovels snow outside her tent in the makeshift refugee camp of Terbol near the Bekaa Valley town of Zahleh in eastern Lebanon on December 11, 2013.
At least two people were killed and 14 injured as the first snowfall of the season hit Syria and Lebanon. High winds and freezing temperatures affected refugee camps and disrupted international aid. More severe weather is expected this winter.

The storm, named 'Alexa,' took the lives of two people and injured 14 others in Lebanon, Ya Libnan reported, citing Red Cross Secretary General George Kettaneh.

The winter storm caused transportation chaos in the region and grounded the UN humanitarian airlift, which was scheduled to bring food and supplies from Iraq to the northeastern Kurdish areas of Syria. Tens of thousands of people are isolated in those areas, waiting for the aid to arrive.

"Qamishli airport (in Syria) has suspended all flights due to weather conditions, snow and poor visibility," UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHR) spokesman Dan McNorton told Reuters. "We're not going to be able to make those flights happen until the weather improves."

The storm is estimated to last until Saturday, with temperatures plummeting below seven degrees Celsius in mountainous regions of Lebanon.

"I don't know if this tent will hold up, it's just a few flimsy pieces of metal holding it up," refugee Abu Suleiman told AP. He resides in the Lebanese town of Marj, located near the border with Syria.

In the northeastern Lebanese town of Arsal, temperatures hovered just above zero degrees Celsius. A member of the town's municipal council, Wafiq Khalaf, said that refugees were "shivering with cold, especially the ones in tents."

"At the moment there is more than 10 centimeters of snow on the ground, but more is expected," he told AFP.
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Ice Cube

Coldest arctic blast of the season will trigger 3 feet of lake effect snow in Upstate New York


Daily Mail UK
Wed, 11 Dec 2013 15:41 UTC
Upstate New York is braced to receive an onslaught of lake effect snow by week's end. New Yorkers from Syracuse to Watertown could see as much as three feet thanks to the coldest temperatures to hit the region yet this season blowing across Lake Ontario.

Other lakeside cities like Chicago and Buffalo also expected major snow from the second bitter arctic blast of the year, which is set to chill Americans from Cincinnati to Boston by Thursday. Weather maps of the Great Lakes region show nothing but snow in the forecast through Friday, with the most intense precipitation in Upstate New York.

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Frigid days ahead: The air currently blowing across the Great Lakes is the coldest arctic blast of the season and is due to stretch through the Midwest, the South and then chill most of the Northeast by Thursday
Locally intense snowfall east of Lake Michigan, south of Lake Superior and east of Lake Ontario could reach a whopping four feet, according to Accuweather.com.

Lake effect snow occurs when cold, dry air passes over the relatively warm water of the Great Lakes and picks up moisture. That moisture eventually freezes and falls in the form of snow.
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Snowflake Cold

Lebanon takes action ahead of snowstorm Alexa


The Daily Star
Wed, 11 Dec 2013 17:07 UTC
sidon residents
© The Daily Star/Mohammed Zaatari Sidon residents buy essentials to prepare for Alexa.
Caretaker Education Minister Hassan Diab announced Tuesday the closure of public and private schools as municipalities across Lebanon began taking precautionary measures in anticipation of a brutal snowstorm.

"Because Lebanon is subject to the harsh snowstorm, 'Alexa,' which has already caused a sharp decline in temperatures, and rainwater is expected to increase and block traffic, to avoid the risks caused by the storm and its impact on school students ... public and private schools will be closed and classes will not be held Wednesday," the statement from the Education Ministry said.
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