The winter of 2009-2010

Freezing Europe

According to the official website of one of the biggest Romanian TV stations, Antena3, at the end of January, Romania was colder than Alaska, which is something, given the position of Alaska and its normal temperatures for this time of the year, and even colder than Norway and other cities found up, towards the North Pole. Great Britain has the coldest winter of the last 30 years and France, Germany, Poland, Albania, Netherlands, along with other European states, were all hit by heavy snow and unusual cold temperature


By ROXANA CIUPARIU (roxana.ciupariu@wavemagazine.net)
from Bucharest, ROMANIA


Winter in the Northern hemisphere means snow and cold temperatures. But this winter has been special in comparison with some previous, due to the "surprises" it brought: particularly low temperatures in areas caught unprepared to face them, a lot of snow in areas with usually few or no snow, and blockades on roads and other means of transportation. Blame it on the global warming or consider it just a phenomenon that repeats once a decade or rarely, this winter had definitely had some devastating consequences so far.

Freezing to death in Romania

This winter in Romania the temperature dropped more than usual, reaching one of its lowest points at Miercurea Ciuc, in Transylvania (in the middle of the country, surrounded by mountains), with -29,4 degrees C, at the end of January. The lowest temperature for this winter, nonetheless, was reached at Întorsatura Buzaului, on 25th of January, with -34,4 degrees C.

According to the Ministry of Health of Romania, more than 40 froze to death in Romania this winter because of the low temperatures. Newspapers in the county of Ardeal announced that the majority of emergency cases received by hospitals in the period when low temperatures were registered consisted of person badly frozen. The hospitals promptly responded, by providing warm blankets and hot soup. The other majority of cases represented persons who slipped on ice and had to be rushed to the emergency room with broken bones.

According to the official website of one of the biggest Romanian TV stations, Antena3, at the end of January, Romania was colder than Alaska, which is something, given the position of Alaska and its normal temperatures for this time of the year, and even colder than Norway and other cities found up, towards the North Pole.

This is not an ordinary situation for Romania, since it has a temperate climate, with windy and coldly winters, but it lacks the humidity of other countries, and this makes winter here bearable. Temperatures can go below 0, like -2 to -5 degrees, or even -10 (and less in mountains and certain remote places), but without too much damage. The lowest temperature in Romania was reached at Miercurea Ciuc, in 1985, the thermometers showing -38,4 degrees C.

Transportation blockade all over Great Britain and Ireland

This winter in Great Britain was the coldest winter of the last 30 years, with Wales being affected a lot at the beginning, joined soon by the rest of UK, along with its neighbour, Ireland. Transportation was blocked (check the video here), people were caught by surprise, planes and trains were delayed for hours or days, and some were even cancelled. Danielle Powell, Welsh teacher of English in Venice, had her flights cancelled three times at the beginning of January and managed to return to her working place, in Italy, only one week after the initial schedule.

Blizzards and -15 degrees in certain UK areas characterised this winter, according to Realitatea.net, which contributed to the disturbance of the traffic in Wales, for example. Speed restrictions were imposed in North-West of Scotland and England, as well as in Wales, due to frost and dense fog, which reduced visibility, and 7 people were declared death at the end of December 2009, due to low temperatures. This weather favoured accidents and the closure of schools in certain areas where the traffic was worsening day by day.

Hard winter all over Europe

France, Germany, Poland, Albania, Netherlands, along with other European states, were all hit by heavy snow and unusual cold temperature. In Germany a bus got stuck in the middle of a railway because of heavy snowing and cold temperature, while in Albania heavy snowing determined the closure of the Ulza hydroelectric plant, leaving fears of future necessary closures. Normandy, Bretagne and the centre of France were covered in snow at the dawn of 2010, while until mid-January, around 122 people died in Poland because of the cold weather, presents Realitatea.net, the same weather which was responsible for leaving 100.000 Polish houses without electricity.

In Netherlands, Utrecht Central was blocked as soon as the first snows started falling in mid-December, and Dutch cities accustomed with little or no snow, such as Leiden, were now covered in 50-70 cm snows, as Enira Pungaki, Indonesian student in this city, described the situation. This, of course, contributed to the blocking of roads and interuption of transportation, creating confusion in this small country.

In Russia, Ukraine and Finland temperatures reached -30 to 40 degrees, which caused deaths in all three countries, although these areas are quite used and prepared for low temperatures. Villages are blocked under snow, as the international press presents the situation, while the gas coming from the Russians continues to have a low pressure, which is not very good. On a different note, Turkey was hit by floods, avalanches and frost, which blocked traffic circulation and brought people into hospitals.

Apparently, wherever people look, winter has hit hard, which can lead us to a message mostly arbitrated by ecologists, that global warming has just started its devastation and we are the only ones capable of stoping it, by paying more attention to our environment. That, or we should learn that some natural events tend to repeat after a certain period, which is why we need to study them and be - better - prepared next time they hit.


(Published: 09.02.2010.)