Tag Archives: WEATHER

Europe

In Iceland, there was an eruption of a volcano that “slept” for almost 800 years

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In Iceland, southwest of the capital Reykjavik, the Fagradalsfjall volcano erupted, last waking up almost 800 years ago.

This is reported by the BBC.

The Icelandic Meteorological Agency reports that the eruption of Fagradalsfjall, which is located about 30 km from Reykjavik, began on Friday at 20: 45 GMT, and was subsequently confirmed by webcams and satellite images.

Only a few hours earlier, a magnitude 3 earthquake was recorded 1.2 km from the volcano.

According to preliminary data, the length of the volcanic crack is 500-700 meters.

At this stage, the eruption is considered small, the lava flows are insignificant. The lava flows slowly to the southwest and west.

Air pollution from volcanic gas is also expected. People are asked to close their windows, stay at home, and under no circumstances approach the eruption site. The number of emissions is currently estimated. The weather forecast provides for strong winds and precipitation, which will reduce the impact of possible pollution.

Iceland often faces aftershocks because it is located on two tectonic plates that drift in opposite directions.

As reported, over the past three weeks, more than 50,000 earthquakes have been registered in the country.

Europe

Coronavirus: Is it time for slight relaxation?

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After weeks and even months of severe anti-epidemic restrictions, there are growing calls in many European countries to relax the regime. At the same time, the emergence of new strains of the virus reduces the effectiveness of the measures taken. The pages of the European press reflect the dilemma that the governments of the continent are now facing.

The government is like a weather vane in the wind

Despite the increase in infection statistics, the Dutch authorities plan to relax the restrictions somewhat; at the same time, the curfew will remain. The newspaper De Telegraaf welcomes these plans, but does not hide skepticism:

“The number of new infections has increased dramatically. They say that the third wave will not pass. Why, then, loosen the reins? Rutte pulled a new surprise from his sleeve: he now appeals to the sense of personal responsibility of citizens. … If the authorities are full of trust in the citizens, why did they not show it before? It seems that the government, like a weather vane, changes course depending on the mood in society, probably taking into account the prospect of the next election. And this is a bad adviser! Without a doubt, any relaxation of restrictive measures is like a balm to all of us. However, it is necessary to implement all this on the basis of a well-thought-out and verified policy.”

Clear communication, clear management

In Germany, there is no talk of lifting the restrictions yet. However, the current stability of statistics is deceptive, — notes  Suddeutsche Zeitung:

“The prospect that everything will end soon is very vague. The presence of vaccines leads to the fact that we fall into a state of imaginary security — and the reality is far from this. Good weather and general fatigue also do the trick. The pressure on the authorities to lift the restrictions is gradually increasing, and with each spring day, expectations are growing more and more. Even if the end of the pandemic is already on the horizon: the current, last, phase requires a very balanced approach, and its dangers should be spoken about with all clarity. … Just as a clear message was so necessary at the beginning of the pandemic, we will need it for the coming months.”

Open the doors of the schools immediately!

In Portugal, a group of doctors, scientists, and specialists published an open letter in the newspaper Publico, calling on the government to open schools from the beginning of March:

“We are aware of the need to comply with measures to overcome the pandemic and reduce the number of infections. … however, we believe that the choice between the lives of older people and the opportunity to receive education for children and young people is a false dilemma. And we believe that it is quite possible to ensure both the right to health and the right to education. To do this, consider the following: … yes, empirical evidence suggests that school closures are associated with a decrease in the number of infections among the population. … However, this is not a decisive factor in the fight against the epidemic, and therefore it is quite possible to open schools — with proper security measures.”

Europe

Snowfall and frost: a powerful cyclone “Medea” came to Greece

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The Medea cold front hit Greece over the weekend, leading to heavy snowfall and winds, especially in the north and center of the country.

This is reported by Ekathimerini.

In the north of the country, temperatures dropped to minus 15 degrees overnight, and most ferry flights had to be canceled due to strong winds, the coast guard said.

A power outage occurred on the Northern Sporades island group as falling trees severed power lines.

Snow also briefly covered the Acropolis in Athens but did not last long, as the temperature was around zero degrees Celsius.

The national highway between Athens and Thessaloniki is closed for the day in two areas north of the capital due to ice.

According to the traffic police, most roads in central and northern Greece are only accessible to cars with anti-slip wheel chains.

According to the EMY weather service, the peak of the cold will be reached on Tuesday. The authorities appealed to citizens to restrict movement.

Although snow is common in the north of Greece and in the mountains in winter, it does not often fall on the islands and in the capital.

Europe

In the Czech Republic, frost was recorded at -33 C

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The night of February 14 turned out to be the coldest in the Czech Republic since the beginning of this winter. This was announced by the Czech Hydrometeorological Institute.

It was coldest in the Ore Mountains, where the Jeleni u most weather station recorded an air temperature of -32.7 C.

There were also severe frosts in the Sumava National Park. There, early in the morning, the swampy area Rokytska slat froze to -31.2 C.

In low-lying regions, thermometers ranged from -12 to -18 degrees Celsius.

Forecasters warn that severe frosts will last in the republic until the middle of the coming week, after which gradual warming will begin.

Europe

The highest level of weather hazard declared in four departments of France

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The highest — red — level of meteorological danger is declared in four departments of France, according to the French meteorological service Meteo France.

The reason was heavy snowfall and ice.

We are talking about the departments of Vendee, De Sevres, Vienne, and Indre, which are located in the west and in the central part of the country.

At the same time, the orange level of weather hazard operates in 35 departments of the country.