Ice Storm Hits All of Russia, Spreads to Europe - Arctic Cyclone Slows Down Entire Continent
Abnormal cold weather struck 30 Russian regions at once. And in the coming days, despite the approaching calendar spring, the frosts will only increase. In the Urals, the temperature dropped to -35C (-36.4F). In the Vologda region: -40C (-40F). Lake Teletskoye has completely frozen in the Altai for the first time in many years. Record temperatures have held in the central part of Russia for 3 days in a row. In Moscow, the past 24hrs have become the coldest of the entire winter. And this is not the end yet. Extreme colds have also paralyzed Europe.
Anastasiya Popova reporting on the consequences of such weather conditions.
Instead of the usual names, in France, this cyclone was given a melodic one: "Moscow-Paris." In Europe, the unprecedented February snows came from Siberia, as people say here. Arctic cold has even reached Italy. In the north of Apennine Mountains, the temperature dropped to -35C, and with it, an icy wind at speeds of up to 130 km/hr, and snow. The snowdrifts are as tall as 1 meter. For the first time since 1956, Naples is covered with snow. Airports and schools had to be closed. Already there are the first victims of cold weather. 2 people were frozen to death in France. In Croatia, a truck and A passenger bus collided.
Darko Mazić, Doctor at Clinical Hospital Center Rijeka: "We received 20 injured people as a result of the car accident, 2 of them had serious traumas".
In Sweden, a highway was closed after 19 cars collided on the icy surface. 70 km from Stockholm, during a severe blizzard, Sweden's PM, Stefan Leven's car, collided with the road barrier. The politician himself was not injured, but he had to replace the vehicle.
In Romania, visibility fell to 30 meters, so the authorities decided to block about 40 national routes. The largest seaport, Constanta, is also closed. Temperatures dropped to -22C. Dozens of trains are delayed. The same fate befell flights. Not only in the Balkans but also in Germany. There, the past night became the coldest of the whole winter, with -27C in the Alps.
On the coast of Great Britain, it's snowing and is very cold. The cold here has been nicknamed "The Beast from the East," which is already gradually creeping into Belgium. The icy wind from the Arctic will continue to blow for at least a few more days. Lower temperatures are expected in the whole kingdom, and the worst will hit on Wednesday night. In the mountains, as low as -20C is expected.
Anastasiya Popova, Lev Bernadsky. From Belgium — Vesti.