Storms and heat in Europe
Europe's strange winter weather continues to generate headlines, as a powerful low pressure system brought hurricane-force wind gusts to England, Germany, the Czech Republic, and many other European countries on Thursday. The powerful extratropical cyclone, now centered over western Russia, has a central pressure of 960 mb--the kind of pressures commonly seen in Category 1 and 2 hurricanes! At least 41 people have been killed in the storm, mostly motorists in England and Germany. The storm shut down the German train system for the first time in history. The last winter storm with comparable winds in Europe occurred in January 1990. The latest computer forecast models point to the first significant snows and cold for Europe next week, when a major low pressure system is expected to finally tap into some cold Artic air and pull it southwards over much of Europe.
Figure 1. Departure of temperature from average (in �C) for the week (Sun-Thu). The western U.S. is suffering the worst winter cold of anywhere in the Northern Hemisphere. Europe and northern Asia continue to feel record-breaking warm temperatures. Note that the area of most extreme below-normal temperatures occurred over San Antonio, Texas, where the world's largest meeting of meteorologists was being held!
Extraordinary warmth in Europe
The European storm was a warm and rainy one, and record warmth continues to affect both Europe and most of northern Asia (Figure 1). January 10, with a temperature of 8 �C, was the warmest in the first 10 days of January in Moscow, Russia, according to the hydro-meteorological bureau for Moscow. Record keeping began in 1870. St. Petersburg reported their warmest January day in 125 years of record keeping the same day, with a temperature of 8.6 �C. Nighttime minimum temperatures in London, England, hit 12.6 �C on January 8, which is warmer than the average July minimum temperature, 12� C. So far, January temperatures in London are the warmest since record keeping began in 1659.
Romanian snowboarders blockade weather office
The lack of snow in Romania has driven snow lovers in that country to desperation. A group of Romanian snowboarders blocked traffic in front of the country's weather institute January 16, and would only budge when weather officials would agree that their complaints of a lack of snow "would be passed on to a higher authority", according to Ananova.
Winter hits the U.S., China, and Bengladesh
Winter cold has hit the western U.S. hard this week, with California suffering a devastating freeze to its citrus crop. Heavy snow has affected central China--the Chinese official state media Xinhua said on January 16th that more than 1,000 houses have collapsed and 2,424 damaged in the weather as snow levels reached 300 millimeters in some regions. Earlier this month, Bengladesh saw temperatures that fell from the daily average of 18 �C to between 5 and 8 �C. The government called on affluent people to donate warm clothes and blankets to the poor, as doctors reported that more than 100 people had died from the sudden cold.
Jeff Masters
Reader Comments
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Close as I could get on short notice
Congratulations to the Bears and Lovie Smith...a well-deserved trip to Miami; but, if I hear one more bit from Shannon Sharp about "pay him(Lovie)his money," I think I'll puke. I'm pretty sure he'll get a new, fat contract. But, we don't need that kind of ridiculous re-peated opinion from a 2-bit, can't enunciate announcer. Somebody, please shut that bonehead up!
At least the weather is not as likely to be a deciding factor in the SuperBowl. And since the Saints aren't making the trip, guess I'll be rooting for the Colts.
SUBJ/TROPICAL CYCLONE FORMATION ALERT 212021Z JAN 07//
WTPS21 PGTW 212030
RMKS/
1. FORMATION OF A SIGNIFICANT TROPICAL CYCLONE IS POSSIBLE WITHIN
120 NM EITHER SIDE OF A LINE FROM 12.1S 176.4W TO 13.8S 172.1W
WITHIN THE NEXT 12 TO 24 HOURS. AVAILABLE DATA DOES NOT JUSTIFY
ISSUANCE OF NUMBERED TROPICAL CYCLONE WARNINGS AT THIS TIME.
WINDS IN THE AREA ARE ESTIMATED TO BE 25 TO 30 KNOTS. METSAT IM-
AGERY AT 211800Z INDICATES THAT A CIRCULATION CENTER IS LOCATED
NEAR 12.3S 176.1W. THE SYSTEM IS MOVING SOUTHEASTWARD AT 04
KNOTS.
0123456789012345678901234567890123456789012345678901234567890123456789
2. REMARKS: THE AREA OF CONVECTION PREVIOUSLY LOCATED...
HAS PERSISTED OVER THE PAST 12 HOURS.
ANIMATED ENHANCED INFRARED AND MULTISPECTRAL SATELLITE IMAGERY REVEAL
DEEP CONVECTION LOCATED DIRECTLY OVER THE LOW-LEVEL CIRCULATION CENTER
(LLCC), WITH STRONG LOW LEVEL INFLOW FROM THE SOUTHEAST AND NORTHWEST
WRAPPING INTO THE SYSTEM. UPPER LEVEL ANALYSIS CONTINUES TO INDICATE
A FAVORABLE ENVIRONMENT FOR DEVELOPMENT, WITH THE DISTURBANCE BEING
LOCATED JUST SOUTH OF THE 200 MB ANTICYCLONE AXIS. VERTICAL WIND SHEAR
REMAINS LOW, AND THE ANTICYCLONE ALOFT IS PROVIDING GOOD RADIAL OUTFLOW
FOR THE SYSTEM. MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS ARE ESTIMATED AT 25-30 KNOTS.
MINIMUM SEA LEVEL PRESSURE IS ESTIMATED TO BE 1000 MB. DUE TO THE
INCREASED DEEP CONVECTION OVER THE LLCC, THE POTENTIAL FOR THE
DEVELOPMENT OF A SIGNIFCANT TROPICAL CYCLONE WITHIN THE NEXT 24 HOURS
IS GOOD.
3. THIS ALERT WILL BE REISSUED, UPGRADED TO WARNING OR CANCELLED BY 222030Z
12.0S 162.1W -- 30 knots 1001 hPa
Gale Warning
==============
west to northwest winds of 30 to 35 knots gale and is moving with the depression.
next Gale Warning at 700 UTC Monday
Tropical Disturbance Summary
=========================
Overall organization has decreased as storm moves east at 10 knots. Tropical Depression 07F moving into increasing wind shear.
The potential of TD 07 to form into a tropical cyclone within the next 24 hours is low.
=======================================
Tropical Depression 08F (INVEST 93P)
12.3S 176.1W - 30 knots 1000 hPa
Tropical Disturbance Summary
============================
Organization has improved over this system as it moves east-southeast at 5 knots. Tropical Depression 08 is position in favorable environment with minimum wind shear.
The potential for TD 08 to develop into a tropical cyclone within the next 24 hours is moderate to high.
Happy new Year!!!
Peace on Earth
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