January 2017 European cold wave

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January 2017 European cold wave
P za d Aracoeli, ghiaccioli alla fontana P1130785.jpg
A frozen fountain in Rome on 7 January 2017
Type Cold wave
Formed5 January 2017 [1]
Lowest temperature−45.4 °C (−49.7 °F) in Oparino, Russia [2]
Fatalities73+ deaths [3] [4]
Areas affected Eastern Europe, Central Europe, Italy, Turkey

A period of exceptionally cold and snowy winter weather in January 2017 occurred in Eastern and Central Europe. In some areas, flights and shipping services were suspended, and there was major disruption to power supplies and other essential infrastructure. [5] The weather was the result of stationary high pressure over western Europe, resulting in strong winds circulating from Russia and Scandinavia towards eastern Europe. [1] [6] On 9 January, the Continental Arctic (cA) air mass extended from Germany across the Balkans, resulting in deep snow in Greece and strong bora winds affecting Croatia in particular. In addition, heavy snow in central and Southern Italy was the result of cold air flowing across the warmer Adriatic Sea. [7] At least 73 deaths were attributed to the cold wave.

Contents

Affected areas

During the first week of 2017, 46 (mainly homeless) people died from the cold in Poland, [8] when temperatures fell below −20 °C (−4 °F). [9] Free public transport was provided in Warsaw, Kraków and Kielce because of the smog caused by the cold weather. [10] Wrocław was also affected by smog with air quality in the area dropping to critical levels. Seven cold-related deaths were reported in Italy as of 9 January, mainly of homeless people, [10] and parts of the country experienced exceptional falls of snow, high winds and freezing temperatures. Several airports were closed, including those in Sicily, Bari and Brindisi. [10] Ice formed on the Adriatic Sea, [5] and schools in the south of the country were closed. [9] [11] On 10 January, shipping was halted along a 900 km (560 mi) stretch of the Danube in Romania, Croatia and Serbia, because of the icy conditions. [12]

The frozen Danube in Budapest on 9 January Lanchid es a Duna jegesedese.jpg
The frozen Danube in Budapest on 9 January

Eight deaths from the cold were reported in the Czech Republic, mainly of homeless people. [10] The bodies of three migrants were found near the border between Bulgaria and Turkey. [5] [10] Médecins Sans Frontières raised concerns about the risk to migrants, especially around 2,000 people living in Belgrade. [10]

The Bosphorus was closed to shipping after a snowstorm that affected daily life in Istanbul, where more than 650 flights were grounded. [5] [9] [10] Snow depth in many areas of Istanbul ranged between 50–110 centimetres (20–43 in), with the average annual snowfall for the city falling in the span of a day. [13] [14]

Blizzards also affected Bulgaria and parts of Romania and Ukraine, [6] and shipping on the Danube was suspended. [5] [10]

Heavy snow in Bucharest causes major disruption to the traffic (11 January). Winter in Bucharest.jpg
Heavy snow in Bucharest causes major disruption to the traffic (11 January).

Temperatures fell to −20 °C (−4 °F) in Greece, where the National Observatory of Athens referred to the weather phenomenon as Ariadne (after the goddess Ariadne). [15] Greek authorities decided in 2016 in Greece to name extreme weather phenomena starting from January 2017; Ariadne was the first weather phenomenon to receive a name. [16] The whole country was blanketed by unusually heavy snowfall, causing huge problems in transport. Snow even fell in Athens and Santorini. One migrant died of cold, and many migrants on islands in the Aegean Sea were moved into heated tents as the area was covered in snow. [10] The authorities opened three Athens Metro tube stations to homeless people to help protect them from the cold. [17] Road and public transport in the country were also disrupted. On 10 January, it was announced that in Thessaloniki in the province of Macedonia only 130 buses out of 480–500 operated by Thessaloniki Urban Transport Organisation were in operational condition. [18] The islands of Euboea, Skopelos and Alonnisos declared a state of emergency after serious power failures and collapse of traffic due to snowfall. [19] Mytilene on the island of Lesbos recorded a low of −5.7 °C (21.7 °F) on 7 January, [20] a temperature expected to occur on average once in 300 years in current climatic conditions. [21] January 2017 overall mean monthly temperature was 4.7 °C (8.5 °F) below average in Mytilene and Bucharest, and many weather stations reported monthly means more than 3 °C (5.4 °F) below average. [22]

Deaths were also reported in Russia and Ukraine. Temperatures in some parts of European Russia fell to below −40 °C (−40 °F), setting records across the region. [10] About 100,000 residents of settlements in Moscow Oblast such as Lyubertsy, Lytkarino, Dzerzhinsky and Kotelniki lost electricity due to extremely harsh temperatures. [23] On 11 January, the cold wave reached Albania, with temperatures reaching −22 °C (−8 °F) and supplies being flown in by army helicopters, mainly in the city of Gjirokastër and the nation's capital Tirana. [24]

On 16 January, it was reported that the electricity prices in Europe were at their highest since 2008 as a result of power outages and increased demand. Romanian Energy Minister, Toma Petcu, suggested that, if coal consumption remained high, reserves held by the country's two major producers would only last for four days. [25]

Temperature records

Moscow, 8 January 2017, 00:14, -27 degC (-17 degF) Christmas night 2 (32170785305).jpg
Moscow, 8 January 2017, 00:14, −27 °C (−17 °F)

7 January was reported to be the coldest Orthodox Christmas in Moscow in 120 years, [10] at −29.9 °C (−21.8 °F). The lowest temperature in western Europe was recorded in the Swiss village of La Brévine, also at −29.9 °C (−21.8 °F) on 6 January. [26] On 8 January a low temperature record for this day in Hungary was set in Tésa, at −28.1 °C (−18.6 °F). [27] On the same day a record low temperature was measured in Tver Oblast, Russia, at −35.7 °C (−32.3 °F), which surpassed the previous 1987 record for that day. [28] Kirov plummeted to −38.3 °C (−36.9 °F) on 8 January too. [29]

Deaths

At least 61 people died in relation to the cold, many of them migrants or homeless. Approximately one-third of the deaths were in Poland; others took place in Albania, Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Italy, Greece, and North Macedonia. [30] [26]

See also

Related Research Articles

The 2006 European cold wave was an unusual and deadly cold wave which resulted in abnormal winter conditions over much of Europe. Southern Europe saw cold and snow, while places in northern Norway saw abnormally mild conditions. The phenomenon started in early January 2006, in the region of the Polar Urals, with temperatures nosediving below -50°C, and extended to west Russia, then Central Europe where parts of Poland, Slovakia, and Austria saw temperatures drop below -30 °C. The cold wave resulted in the deaths of up to 50 people in Russia, and a significant death toll in Eastern Europe, including Ukraine, Moldova, and Romania. The abnormal conditions gradually abated towards the end of the month. According to Munich Re reinsurance company, it was the deadliest cold snap between 1980 and 2011, causing 790 fatalities throughout Europe. According to the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, there were 884 deaths in Ukraine, 135 in Moscow, 13 in Moldova and 5 in Belarus, and over 20,000 cases of frostbite were treated in the region's hospitals. The damage to Russian crops due to severe frost was estimated at $929 million.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cold wave</span> Weather phenomenon

A cold wave is a weather phenomenon that is distinguished by a cooling of the air. Specifically, as used by the U.S. National Weather Service, a cold wave is a rapid fall in temperature within a 24-hour period requiring substantially increased protection to agriculture, industry, commerce, and social activities. The precise criteria for a cold wave are the rate at which the temperature falls, and the minimum to which it falls. This minimum temperature is dependent on the geographical region and time of year.

The cold wave of 1978 was a weather event that occurred in the Eastern United States. Beginning in December 1977 and lasting until March, it produced one of the coldest winters on record in all states east of the Rocky Mountains, except Maine.

The winter of 1894–1895 was severe for the British Isles with a Central England temperature (CET) of 1.17 °C or 34.1 °F. Many climatologists have come to view this winter as the end of the Little Ice Age and the culmination of a decade of harsh winters in Britain. Whereas the average CET for the 10 winters from 1885–1886 to 1894–1895 was 2.87 °C or 37.2 °F, no winter with a CET under 3.0 °C or 37.4 °F followed for 22 years and no month as cold as February or January 1895 until 1940. In contrast, between 1659 and 1894, no spell with every winter CET above 3.0 °C or 37.4 °F had lasted longer than 12 winters.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Winter of 1990–91 in Western Europe</span>

The winter of 1990–91 was a particularly cold winter in Western Europe, noted especially for its effect on the United Kingdom, and for two significantly heavy falls of snow which occurred in December 1990 and February 1991. Sandwiched in between was a period of high winds and heavy rain which caused widespread damage. The winter was the coldest since January 1987, and the snowfall experienced in many parts of the United Kingdom would not be seen again until the snowfall of February 2009.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Winter of 2009–10 in Europe</span> Severe 2009/2010 winter conditions in Europe

The winter of 2009–2010 in Europe was unusually cold. Globally, unusual weather patterns brought cold, moist air from the north. Weather systems were undergoing cyclogenesis from North American storms moving across the Atlantic Ocean to the west, and saw many parts of Europe experiencing heavy snowfall and record-low temperatures. This led to a number of deaths, widespread transport disruption, power failures and postponed sporting events.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1987 United Kingdom and Ireland cold wave</span>

The January 1987 snowfall was a very heavy lake-effect type snow event that affected the United Kingdom, mainly the areas of East Anglia, South-East England and London between 11 and 14 January and was the heaviest snowfall to fall in that part of the United Kingdom since the winter of 1981/82. Over 50 centimetres (20 in) of snow fell in South East England, with some locations reporting snowfall at 75 centimetres (30 in). Ireland was also affected by the cold wave, reporting more than 10 centimetres (3.9 in) in some areas.

The winter of 2010–2011 in Europe began with an unusually cold November caused by a cold weather cycle that started in southern Scandinavia and subsequently moved south and west over both Belgium and the Netherlands on 25 November and into the west of Scotland and north east England on 26 November. This was due to a low pressure zone in the Baltics, with a high pressure over Greenland on 24 November, and ended on 3 May 2011 in Poland.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Winter of 2010–11 in Great Britain and Ireland</span> Severe 2010–2011 winter conditions in the UK and the Republic of Ireland

The winter of 2010–11 was a weather event that brought heavy snowfalls, record low temperatures, travel chaos and school disruption to the islands of Great Britain and Ireland. It included the United Kingdom's coldest December since Met Office records began, with a mean temperature of −1 °C (30 °F), breaking the previous record of 0.1 °C (32.2 °F) in December 1981. It was also the second coldest December in the narrower Central England Temperature (CET) record series which began in 1659, falling 0.1 °C short of the all-time record set in 1890. Although there are no xx, December 2010 is thought to be colder than December 1890 over the United Kingdom as a whole, as Scotland was up to 2 °C warmer than England. Hence, it is thought to be the coldest December across Great Britain since before 1659.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Early 2012 European cold wave</span> Cold wave in Europe in January 2012

A deadly cold wave started in Europe on January 27, 2012, and brought snow and freezing temperatures to much of the continent. There were more than 824 reported deaths in both Europe and North Africa. Particularly low temperatures hit several Eastern and Northern European countries, reaching as low as −42.7 °C (−44.9 °F) in Finland. The heaviest snow was recorded in the Balkan region. The cold weather was a result of an extensive area of very high pressure located over the north east of the continent in northern Russia, which circulated cold air from the east.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cold wave of January 1977</span> Weather event

The cold wave of January 1977 produced the only known trace of snow in the greater Miami area of Florida ever reported. It occurred following the passage of a strong cold front, in combination with a high-pressure area situated over the Mississippi River Valley. As a result, cold air moved far to the south across Florida, causing both snow flurries and record low temperatures. Most notably, the weather system brought snow flurries as far south as Homestead on January 19. No snow had ever been reported in southeastern Florida before or since. Damage was most significant to agriculture, as major losses occurred to citrus fruits and tender vegetables. Statewide, agricultural damage from the cold wave totaled to $350 million (1977 USD), and losses overall totaled to $2 billion (1977 USD). One fatality occurred due to an automobile accident in Central Florida, which was related to the cold wave.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Weather of 2013</span>

The 2013 extreme weather events included several all-time temperature records in Northern and Southern Hemisphere. The February extent of snow cover in Eurasia and North America was above average, while the extent of Arctic ice in the same month was 4.5% below the 1981–2010 average. The Northern Hemisphere weather extremes have been linked to the melting of Arctic sea ice, which alters atmospheric circulation in a way that leads to more snow and ice.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Early 2014 North American cold wave</span> Extreme weather event affecting parts of Canada and the United States

The early 2014 North American cold wave was an extreme weather event that extended through the late winter months of the 2013–2014 winter season, and was also part of an unusually cold winter affecting parts of Canada and parts of the north-central and northeastern United States. The event occurred in early 2014 and was caused by a southward shift of the North Polar Vortex. Record-low temperatures also extended well into March.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">November 2014 North American cold wave</span>

The November 2014 North American cold wave was an extreme weather event that occurred across most of Canada and the contiguous United States, including parts of the Western United States up to western California. One of the first events of the winter, the cold wave was caused by the northward movement of an extremely powerful bomb cyclone associated with Typhoon Nuri's remnant, which shifted the jet stream far northward, creating an omega block pattern. This allowed a piece of the polar vortex to advance southward into the Central and Eastern United States, bringing record-cold temperatures to much of the region. In contrast, Alaska experienced above-average temperatures.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2014–15 North American winter</span> Winter season in North America

The 2014–15 North American winter was frigid and prolifically wintry, especially across the eastern half of North America in the months of January–March. The season began early, with many places in North America experiencing their first wintry weather during mid-November. A period of below-average temperatures affected much of the contiguous United States, and several records were broken. An early trace of snowfall was recorded in Arkansas. There were greater accumulations of snow across parts of Oklahoma as well. A quasi-permanent phenomenon referred to as the polar vortex may have been partly responsible for the cold weather. Temperatures in much of the United States dropped 15 to 35 °F below average by November 19, following a southward "dip" of the polar vortex into the eastern two-thirds of the country. The effects of this dip were widespread, bringing about temperatures as low as 28 °F (−2 °C) in Pensacola, Florida. Following a significant snowstorm there, Buffalo, New York received several feet of snow from November 17–21. In addition, significant winter weather occurred throughout the season, including a major blizzard that struck the Northeastern United States at the end of January, another blizzard that affected much of the Northern United States days later in early February, and several significant snow events paired with very frigid temperatures for much of February.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">January 2016 East Asia cold wave</span>

In late January 2016, a cold wave struck much of East Asia, parts of mainland Southeast Asia and parts of northern South Asia, bringing record cold temperatures and snowfall to many regions. Sleet was reported in Okinawa for the first time on record, and many other regions saw their lowest temperatures in decades. Snowfall and frigid weather stranded thousands of people across four countries. At least 85 people in Taiwan died from hypothermia and cardiac arrest following a sudden drop in temperature during the weekend of January 22–24. The cold claimed a further fourteen lives in Thailand, and snowstorms resulted in six deaths across Japan. This event was driven by a fast Arctic warming that occurred within the troposphere, forcing the Arctic Oscillation to change phase rapidly from positive to negative, facilitating the atmospheric blocking and associated Siberian high buildup.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2017–18 North American winter</span> Weather summary

The 2017–18 North American winter saw weather patterns across North America that were very active, erratic, and protracted, especially near the end of the season, resulting in widespread snow and cold across the continent during the winter. Significant events included rare snowfall in the South, an outbreak of frigid temperatures that affected the United States during the final week of 2017 and early weeks of January, and a series of strong nor'easters that affected the Northeastern United States during the month of March. In addition, flooding also took place during the month of February in the Central United States. Finally the winter came to a conclusion with a powerful storm system that caused a tornado outbreak and blizzard in mid-April. The most intense event, however, was an extremely powerful cyclonic blizzard that impacted the Northeastern United States in the first week of 2018. Similar to the previous winter, a La Niña was expected to influence the winter weather across North America.

The Spring 2013 United Kingdom cold wave was a period of unusually cold weather in the United Kingdom between 6 March and early April 2013. The cold wave consisted of very low temperatures and significant snowfall. Freezing temperatures worsened due to the significant overcast and cloud covered skies. Extensive snowfall occurred on 11 and 12 March in the South East, North and West of England and Wales. Most parts of England, north Wales and the Isle of Man also suffered heavy persistent snowfall on 22 and 23 March 2013.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2018 British Isles cold wave</span> Cold wave in Europe in February–March 2018

Anticyclone Hartmut was a storm that began on 22 February 2018, and brought a cold wave to Great Britain and Ireland. Anticyclone Hartmut also brought widespread unusually low temperatures and heavy snowfall to large areas. The cold wave combined with Storm Emma, part of the 2017–18 European windstorm season, which made landfall in southwest England and the south of Ireland on 2 March.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">February 2021 Greek cold wave</span>

The February 2021 Greek cold wave was a cold wave over Greece, named Cold Front Medea, that arrived on February 13, 2021, and lasted through February 16. The cold wave brought strong winds, with gusts over 60 miles per hour (97 km/h), and the heaviest snowfall Northern Greece had experienced since 2008. The weather resulted in the deaths of at least 3 people.

References

  1. 1 2 "Arctic outbreak evolution and snowfall forecast, Jan 5-7, 2017". Severe Weather Europe. 5 January 2017.
  2. ↑ "Потепление приближается" [The warming is coming] (in Russian). Retrieved 11 January 2017.
  3. ↑ "Cold blast in Europe blamed for 73 deaths". Archived from the original on 2 February 2017. Retrieved 25 January 2017.
  4. ↑ Alison Mutler (11 January 2017). "Lowest temperatures in decades in parts of eastern Europe". NewsOK. Archived from the original on 12 September 2019. Retrieved 21 March 2017.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 Kevin Rawlinson (9 January 2017). "Freezing conditions cause death and chaos across Europe". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 9 January 2017.
  6. 1 2 Everton Fox (7 January 2017). "Winter digs in across Central and Eastern Europe". Al Jazeera. Retrieved 9 January 2017.
  7. ↑ "Review of arctic outbreak with extreme cold, severe Bora winds and lots of snow across Balkan peninsula and S-CNTRL Italy, Jan 5-8, 2017". Severe Weather Europe. 8 January 2017. Retrieved 10 January 2017.
  8. ↑ "Mróz w Polsce wciąż zabija. Od listopada zmarło już 61 osób". TVN24 (in Polish). ITI Polska. Archived from the original on 16 January 2017. Retrieved 10 January 2017.
  9. 1 2 3 "Snowstorms hold mainland Europe in an icy grip as scores succumb to bitterly cold weather". The Daily Telegraph. London. 9 January 2017. Retrieved 9 January 2017.
  10. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 "Europe cold weather death toll rises". BBC News. 9 January 2017. Retrieved 9 January 2017.
  11. ↑ "Cold wave kills at least 20 across Europe". Forbeautifullife.com. 9 January 2017. Archived from the original on 11 January 2017.
  12. ↑ Associated Press, "Deep Freeze Gripping Europe Causes 61 Deaths, Halts Shipping", 11 January 2017, weather.com. Retrieved 25 January 2017
  13. ↑ "İstanbul'da rekor: Kar kalınlığı 110 santimetre". Milliyet (in Turkish). Retrieved 1 April 2023.
  14. ↑ "La neve sulle coste del Mediterraneo". www.nimbus.it. Retrieved 28 April 2021.
  15. ↑ "Low 'Ariadne' moves Siberia to Greece. Temperature down to -20C". Keep Talking Greece. 5 January 2017. Archived from the original on 8 January 2017. Retrieved 10 January 2017.
  16. ↑ "Μετεωρολόγοι εξηγούν γιατί ονόμασαν το κύμα κακοκαιρίας "Αριάδνη"" [Meteorologists explain why named the wave of bad weather 'Ariadne'] (in Greek). altsantiri.gr. 9 January 2017. Archived from the original on 12 January 2017. Retrieved 10 January 2017.
  17. ↑ "Athens: Three metro stations open all night for the Homeless Jan 6-9/2017". Keep Talking Greece. 5 January 2017. Archived from the original on 7 January 2017. Retrieved 10 January 2017.
  18. ↑ "Θεσσαλονίκη: Αύριο θα κυκλοφορήσουν μόνο τα 130 από τα 480 λεωφορεία" [Thessaloniki: Tomorrow they will release only 130 of the 480 buses] (in Greek). altsantiri.gr. 10 January 2017. Archived from the original on 13 January 2017. Retrieved 10 January 2017.
  19. ↑ Carassava, Anthee (9 January 2017). "Greek islands declare state of emergency after heavy snow". The Times . London. Retrieved 12 January 2017.
  20. ↑ Anagnostopoulou et al 2017, pp. 4–5.
  21. ↑ Anagnostopoulou et al 2017, p. 7.
  22. ↑ Anagnostopoulou et al 2017, p. 3.
  23. ↑ "Электричество начали подавать в дома, которые остались без света в Люберцах" [Power returned to houses in blacked out areas in Lyubertsy] (in Russian). Lubertsyriamo.ru. Archived from the original on 13 January 2017. Retrieved 10 January 2017.
  24. ↑ "Gjirokastra nën petkun e dëborës - Foto Lajm - Top Channel" (in Albanian). Retrieved 11 January 2017.
  25. ↑ Weixin Zha, "Europe Power Prices Jump as Cold Snap Grips Paris to Berlin", Bloomberg.com, 16 January 2017. Retrieved 25 January 2017
  26. 1 2 "Freezing temperatures cause multiple deaths and travel chaos across Europe". The Independent. 7 January 2017. Retrieved 10 January 2017.
  27. ↑ "Hungary Freezes in Coldest Days of Winter So Far As Temperature Sinks To Record Low". Hungary Today. 9 January 2017. Retrieved 10 January 2017.
  28. ↑ "В Тверской области установлен температурный рекорд" [New temperature record was set in Tver Oblast.] (in Russian). Tver.glavny.tv. Retrieved 10 January 2017.
  29. ↑ "Погода в Кирове - климатический монитор за январь 2017 года".
  30. ↑ "Dozens killed by Europe's coldest weather in years". USA Today. 10 January 2017. Retrieved 18 January 2017.

Sources

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