Early 2012 European cold wave
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

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 in Finland. The heaviest snow was recorded in the
Balkan region Balkan Region ( tk, Balkan welaýaty, Балкан велаяты) is the westernmost of the five regions of Turkmenistan. Clockwise from north it borders Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan (north); two provinces of Turkmenistan (east), Iran (south), and ...
. 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.


Countries affected


Effects


Eastern, Northern and Western Europe

The northern half of Europe was affected primarily by greater cold and – except for a period of early snow – low precipitation. The snowfall of the third week of January was up to of snow in a few days, particularly affecting Slovakia and Bulgaria. On Sunday, January 22, heavy snowfall in northern Námestovo caused an ice rink to collapse under the weight of the snow. In Inari, Finland, temperatures of were recorded on February 6, the lowest temperatures in Europe. The village
Kvilda Kvilda (german: Außergefild) is a municipality and village in Prachatice District in the South Bohemian Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 100 inhabitants. At an altitude of , it is the highest municipality in the Czech Republic. It is a ...
in
Sumava The Bohemian Forest, known in Czech as Šumava () and in German as Böhmerwald, is a low mountain range in Central Europe. Geographically, the mountains extend from Plzeň Region and South Bohemia in the Czech Republic to Austria and Bavaria ...
( Czech Republic) recorded temperatures of on February 3, the lowest temperatures in Central Europe. Ukraine was especially affected by the onset of cold weather, at the end of January, the temperatures fell below , at the time the snow was at least , on February 3, over , and by the end of the first week of February, over was recorded. The Ukrainian government announced that many of the public safety issues it was encountering were related to alcohol abuse in the context of the dangerously cold weather. The Baltic states also recorded temperatures down to . Moscow announced that, since the beginning of the last week of January, night temperatures ranged down to . The Mediterranean coast of southern France was covered in deep snow by the end of January.
Corsica Corsica ( , Upper , Southern ; it, Corsica; ; french: Corse ; lij, Còrsega; sc, Còssiga) is an island in the Mediterranean Sea and one of the 18 regions of France. It is the fourth-largest island in the Mediterranean and lies southeast of ...
was buried under of snow, and at times there were as many as 14,000 homes without electricity. In early February, heavy snow pile-ups hit the Helsinki region. Belgium also was surprised by the snowfall. At the same time, the snow reached the British Isles, causing interruptions at London Heathrow Airport where up to of snow impeded many scheduled flights. In Germany, the Elbe downstream of Magdeburg became impassable due to ice, as well as the entire
Elbe–Havel Canal The Elbe–Havel Canal is a 56-kilometre-long waterway in Germany. It links Magdeburg, on the River Elbe, with Brandenburg on the River Havel. Since 2003, the Elbe–Havel Canal has been connected to the Mittelland Canal by the Magdeburg Water B ...
and parts of the Rhine–Main–Danube Canal. Supplies had to be sent to the island of
Spiekeroog Spiekeroog is one of the East Frisian Islands, off the North Sea coast of Germany. It is situated between Langeoog to its west, and Wangerooge to its east. The island belongs to the district of Wittmund, in Lower Saxony in Germany. The only vi ...
via aircraft for the second time in its history, as the ferry service was canceled on February 7, 2012, due to heavy ice conditions in the North Sea. On
Lake Constance Lake Constance (german: Bodensee, ) refers to three Body of water, bodies of water on the Rhine at the northern foot of the Alps: Upper Lake Constance (''Obersee''), Lower Lake Constance (''Untersee''), and a connecting stretch of the Rhine, ca ...
, the catamaran speed-boat traffic between Friedrichshafen and Konstanz had to be canceled due to the icing over of the port in Konstanz on February 7 until further notice. This port had not been frozen to such an extent since the winter of 1962–1963.


Mediterranean Sea, Danube and Balkans

Italy, the Balkans and the Danube were in addition to cold weather also affected by heavy snowfall; Erfrierungsopfer also reported the majority of countries of this area, as well as extensive traffic delays and economic consequences. The cold wave covered the Maghreb in the western Mediterranean, as well as the Aegean, the Turkey and the Levant in the eastern part of the Mediterranean area. On Bologna fell of snow between February 1 and 12 with a maximum height on the ground of ; fell on Cesena (30m above sea level) with maximum height of and fell on Urbino where the snow accumulation on the ground reached deep. Turkey, Spain and Portugal fell to low temperatures in early February, the temperature sometimes considerably below the freezing point. Snow fell in
Mallorca Mallorca, or Majorca, is the largest island in the Balearic Islands, which are part of Spain and located in the Mediterranean. The capital of the island, Palma, is also the capital of the autonomous community of the Balearic Islands. The Bal ...
for the first time since 1956, and even in
Algiers Algiers ( ; ar, الجزائر, al-Jazāʾir; ber, Dzayer, script=Latn; french: Alger, ) is the capital and largest city of Algeria. The city's population at the 2008 Census was 2,988,145Census 14 April 2008: Office National des Statistiques ...
, Algeria and southern Tunisia in Gabès. In Italy, there were extensive power outages (up to 120,000 people were without electricity) as well as traffic congestion, and the Army had to intervene for snow removal: in Rome, where snow had fallen before the weekend of February 4–5, it was almost impossible to drive. Until the second week of February reigned throughout northern and central Italy tiefwinterliche conditions, particularly in Marche, in Umbria, the Abruzzi and Emilia-Romagna. In Rome, after the snowfalls of February 11–12, 2,000 passengers had to spend the night in Fiumicino airport.


Europe

* – In Bosnia and Herzegovina, this year's winter was one of the coldest and snowiest in the last 100 years. The snow depth in the capital Sarajevo reached 111 cm (43.7 inches) and in Mostar 86 cm (34 inches). On February 5 in Sarajevo, 5 people died because of cold weather in 3 hours. Snow and low temperatures stayed persistent until the month of March when drought hit the country. In March, not even 1 liter of precipitation fell throughout the whole country. In Sarajevo snow cover stayed until April. The cold wave killed anywhere from 15 to 50 people. * – Early in the day on January 30, subzero temperatures spread rapidly, data accessed by
AccuWeather AccuWeather Inc. is an American media company that provides commercial weather forecasting services worldwide. AccuWeather was founded in 1962 by Joel N. Myers, then a Pennsylvania State University graduate student working on a master's degree i ...
showed. According to meteoinfo.by, on the night of 11 through February 12, temperatures in the Brahin Raion dropped to . According to National Agency BielTA, from January 1, more than 180 people died in domestic fires. Total number of casualties remain unknown. * – Over 1 meter (3.3 feet) of snow fell in the mountainous areas of the country. Heavy snow fell also in many major cities. The snow depth reached 63 cm (24.8 inches) in Vidin, 61 cm (24 inches) in Vratsa and 48 cm (19 inches) in the capital Sofia. Temperatures dropped under −20 °C (−4 °F) in many parts of Bulgaria, with a low reading of in
Knezha Knezha ( bg, Кнежа, ) is a town in Pleven Province, Northern Bulgaria. It is the administrative center of the homonymous Knezha Municipality. History The town's name is most probably derived from the Slavic word '' knyaz'' ("prince, duke ...
. The wall of the Ivanovo dam in southern Haskovo Province broke, flooding the village of Biser and killing 11 people, as well as inflicting serious infrastructural damage. At least 16 other deaths were reported throughout the country, due to the arctic temperatures. * – As of February 6, three people died, with many villages being cut off, especially near Vrgorac and
Imotski Imotski (; it, Imoschi; lat, Emotha, later ''Imota'') is a small town on the northern side of the Biokovo massif in the Dalmatian Hinterland of southern Croatia, near the border with Bosnia and Herzegovina. Imotski, like the surrounding inland D ...
. The region of
Dalmatia Dalmatia (; hr, Dalmacija ; it, Dalmazia; see #Name, names in other languages) is one of the four historical region, historical regions of Croatia, alongside Croatia proper, Slavonia, and Istria. Dalmatia is a narrow belt of the east shore of ...
was most affected, with strong bora interrupting the power supply and heavy snowfall blocking traffic even in some coastal towns. Split experienced a record snowfall of 25 cm (9.8 inches). * – On February 29, it was reported that there was snowfall in Capital,
Nicosia Nicosia ( ; el, Λευκωσία, Lefkosía ; tr, Lefkoşa ; hy, Նիկոսիա, romanized: ''Nikosia''; Cypriot Arabic: Nikusiya) is the largest city, capital, and seat of government of Cyprus. It is located near the centre of the Mesaor ...
. * – On February 5 temperature was recorded at the Jõgeva meteorological station, the day before a temperature of was recorded at Jõgeva too. Wind chill temperatures were near . * – On the morning of February 5, the lowest temperature in Denmark for 25 years was recorded in Odense with . * – On February 6, BBC News reported 4 deaths, and 43 regions in France on high alert for 'exceptional' weather conditions. On February 11, the
Six Nations Championship The Six Nations Championship (known as the Guinness Six Nations for sponsorship reasons) is an annual international men's rugby union competition between the teams of England, France, Ireland, Italy, Scotland and Wales. The current champions ar ...
game between France and Ireland, was postponed shortly before kick-off, due to the pitch freezing, as temperatures plummeted beneath . * – Rome experienced a rare intense snowfall, and many of Venice's canals have frozen over, while very heavy snowfalls (up to 2m/7 ft in a couple of weeks) occurred in the Apennines. Temperatures plummeted under on February 6 in the north-west of the country where the lowest temperature at low elevetion was recorded on February 7 of in
Candiolo Candiolo is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Metropolitan City of Turin in the Italian region Piedmont, located about southwest of Turin Turin ( , Piedmontese: ; it, Torino ) is a city and an important business and cultural centre in Nort ...
in the
Province of Turin The former Province of Turin ( it, Provincia di Torino; pms, Provinsa ëd Turin; french: Province de Turin) was a province in the Piedmont region of Italy. Its capital was the city of Turin. The province existed until 31 December 2014, when it wa ...
. At least 54 people have died. * – Many homeless people froze to death and a dam on the Evros river burst due to pressure. Temperatures also plummered to in the northwest city of Florina. * – The lowest temperature was recorded at the
Strenči Strenči (pronounced ; german: Stackeln) is a town in Valmiera Municipality in the Vidzeme region of Latvia. It is located about northeast of Riga, about northeast of Valmiera and about southwest of Valka. Strenči is known as the raftsmen ...
meteorological station, hitting on February 5.Elektroapgādes traucējumi tikai 50 mājsaimniecībām
tvnet.lv
For several days not a single meteorological station reported a temperature above . Because of the severe cold wave, some regions in Latvia experienced a shortage of power supply, an increased number of domestic fires were reported. * – The lowest temperature at grass level was measured at Zebbug. The temperature was that of . It was measured on Wednesday, February 8. An air temperature of was also measured during one of a series of hailstorms which occurred during the month. * – A cold wave was registered in the Netherlands, with a low of in De Bilt, the lowest recorded since 1956, and a national low of in Lelystad, the lowest temperature recorded all over the Netherlands since 1985. A homeless man was frozen to death on February 2. People have been ice-skating on the canals of Amsterdam. * – Early in the day on January 30, subzero cold spread widely over Belarus, Ukraine, Romania, Bulgaria, Serbia and eastern Poland, data accessed by AccuWeather.com showed. From the January 1, 2012, 103 people froze to death. Fire and Rescue Service reported 360 domestic fires during one night (February 11–12), and almost 12000 fire accidents this year. Reports state 107 people died in flames with 550 more suffer various degrees of burns. Due to carbon monoxide poisoning 24 people died. * – At least 86 people have died. In some areas, the bitter cold was followed by heavy snow. The snow depth in the capital Bucharest reached 60 cm (23.5 inches). * – European Russia experienced widespread subzero cold. The
Ministry of Health and Social Development The Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation (russian: Министерство здравоохранения Российской Федерации, in short russian: Минздрав России, translit=Minzdrav Rossii) is a ministry of ...
stated on February 13, that the cold had killed 215 people since January 1.
Astrakhan Oblast Astrakhan Oblast (russian: Астраха́нская о́бласть, ''Astrakhanskaya oblast'', , ''Astrakhan oblysy'') is a federal subjects of Russia, federal subject of Russia (an oblast) located in southern Russia. Its administrative center ...
saw temperatures down to . * – Sjenica set , early on the morning of February 9. In Serbia at least 50,000 villagers have been trapped by heavy snow and blizzards in mountainous areas.BBC news
Cold weather death toll passes 100 in Ukraine
/ref> Gas supplies are running low. On February 8, electricity consumption broke a record, standing at 162.67 million kWh, so the government mandated a shutdown of all non-essential industries and decorative lightning. The death toll has risen to 20. * –
Palma Palma or La Palma means palm in a number of languages and may also refer to: Geography Africa *Palma, Mozambique, city ** Palma District *La Palma, one of the Canary Islands, Spain **La Palma (DO), a ''Denominación de Origen'' for wines from the ...
,
Majorca Mallorca, or Majorca, is the largest island in the Balearic Islands, which are part of Spain and located in the Mediterranean. The capital of the island, Palma, is also the capital of the autonomous community of the Balearic Islands. The Bal ...
registered the most important snow episode since 1956. In Catalonia – Heavy snowfall and winds of were reported in
Portbou Portbou () is a town in the Alt Empordà Comarques of Catalonia, county, in the Province of Girona, Catalonia, Spain. It has a population of people (). Portbou is located near the France, French France–Spain border, border in the Costa Brava r ...
. * – On January 31, heavy snow blanketed Istanbul, covering the Blue Mosque. 102 flights were cancelled at Atatürk International Airport. Nearly 140,000 people made homeless by the
2011 Van earthquake The 2011 Van earthquakes occurred in eastern Turkey near the city of Van. The first earthquake happened on 23 October at 13:41 local time. The shock had a magnitude of 7.1 and a maximum Mercalli intensity of VIII (''Severe''). It occurred at a ...
, were reported as struggling to cope with temperatures of and over 30 centimetres of snow. * – More than 100 homeless people have died as temperatures dropped as low as . Gas supplies were running low.BBC news
Freezing Europe hit by Russian gas shortage
/ref> The cold led to more than 600 people being treated for frostbite and hypothermia within three days, according to officials. Nearly 24,000 people sought shelter during the same three days, the BBC reported. In western Ukraine, Rivne and
Ivano-Frankivsk Ivano-Frankivsk ( uk, Іва́но-Франкі́вськ, translit=Iváno-Frankívśk ), formerly Stanyslaviv ( pl, Stanisławów ; german: Stanislau), is a city located in Western Ukraine. It is the administrative centre of Ivano-Frankivsk O ...
dipped to . Ukrainian health officials stated (on February 16) 151 people had died because of the cold,Ukraine's death toll from cold spell reaches 151
Kyiv Post (February 16, 2012)
with alcohol regularly a contributing factor, the highest number in Europe.Homeless suffer in icy Ukraine as temperatures sink
BBC News (February 10, 2012)
* – The
Met Office The Meteorological Office, abbreviated as the Met Office, is the United Kingdom's national weather service. It is an executive agency and trading fund of the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy and is led by CEO Penelope E ...
issued a
severe weather warning Severe weather is any dangerous meteorological phenomenon with the potential to cause damage, serious social disruption, or loss of human life. Types of severe weather phenomena vary, depending on the latitude, altitude, topography, and atmos ...
as heavy snow fell across much of the country on February 4, disrupting roads and flights. More heavy snow fell overnight in England on February 9–10. On the night of February 10–11, the temperature in Chesham, Buckinghamshire, England fell to .


Africa

* – The north of the country awoke to a blanket of snow, 28 of 48 departments of the country have had snow, including
Algiers Algiers ( ; ar, الجزائر, al-Jazāʾir; ber, Dzayer, script=Latn; french: Alger, ) is the capital and largest city of Algeria. The city's population at the 2008 Census was 2,988,145Census 14 April 2008: Office National des Statistiques ...
and even parts of Sahara Desert. Snow covered Algerian lower cities at least for several days, while higher cities like
Sétif Sétif ( ar, سطيف, ber, Sṭif) is the capital of the Sétif Province in Algeria. It is one of the most important cities of eastern Algeria and the country as a whole, since it is considered the trade capital of the country. It is an inner ci ...
(1100 m
AMSL Height above mean sea level is a measure of the vertical distance (height, elevation or altitude) of a location in reference to a historic mean sea level taken as a vertical datum. In geodesy, it is formalized as ''orthometric heights''. The comb ...
) were covered by snow for weeks. Sétif registered up to of snow, while some villages like
Bousselam Bousselam is a town and commune in Sétif Province in north-eastern Algeria ) , image_map = Algeria (centered orthographic projection).svg , map_caption = , image_map2 = , capital = Algi ...
registered up to . The average temperature at this particular time of year is . :As of February 9, more than 80 people had died because of the cold wave (Forty-four people died during the first week of the cold wave); thirty of them were killed in car accidents caused by icy roads,ANSAmed''
Weather: Algeria, 80 killed by cold, mayors against gvt
/ref> and 14 died from asphyxiation due to gas fumes. :The following cities recorded
snowfall Snow comprises individual ice crystals that grow while suspended in the atmosphere—usually within clouds—and then fall, accumulating on the ground where they undergo further changes. It consists of frozen crystalline water throughout ...
: :* Ain Sefra: 4–6, February 8, 2012 :*
Algiers Algiers ( ; ar, الجزائر, al-Jazāʾir; ber, Dzayer, script=Latn; french: Alger, ) is the capital and largest city of Algeria. The city's population at the 2008 Census was 2,988,145Census 14 April 2008: Office National des Statistiques ...
: February 4–5, 2012 :*
Batna Batna or BATNA may refer to: *Batna (city), Algeria *Batna Province, Algeria *Best alternative to a negotiated agreement In negotiation theory, the best alternative to a negotiated agreement or BATNA (no deal option) refers to the most advantageou ...
: February 3–7, 2012 :* Béjaïa: February 4–5, 2012 :* Blida :*
Bordj Bou Arréridj Bordj Bou Arréridj ( ar, برج بوعريريج) is the capital city of Bordj Bou Arréridj Province, Algeria. According to the 2008 estimation, its population was 168,346. It is situated 148 miles by road east of Algiers, near the Hodna Massif ...
: January 30, 2012; 4–7, February 9, 11, 13–14, 2012 :* Bouira :* Boumerdes :*
Constantine Constantine most often refers to: * Constantine the Great, Roman emperor from 306 to 337, also known as Constantine I * Constantine, Algeria, a city in Algeria Constantine may also refer to: People * Constantine (name), a masculine given na ...
: 3–9, February 11–14, 2012 :* Djelfa: February 3–5, 2012 :* El Bayadh: January 29–30, 2012; 3–8, 11–13, February 21–22, 2012 :*
El Kheiter El Kheiter is a town and commune in El Bayadh Province, Algeria ) , image_map = Algeria (centered orthographic projection).svg , map_caption = , image_map2 = , capital = Algiers , coo ...
: 3–5, February 12, 2012 :*
Jijel Jijel ( ar, جيجل), the classical Igilgili, is the capital of Jijel Province in north-eastern Algeria. It is flanked by the Mediterranean Sea in the region of Corniche Jijelienne and had a population of 131,513 in 2008. Jijel is the administra ...
: February 4, 2012 :* Mila :* Miliana: January 29–30, 2012; 3–8, February 12–14, 2012 :* Médéa: January 30–31, 2012; 3–6, 8–9, 11, 13–15, February 21–22, 2012 :*
Naâma Naâma (Arabic: النعامة or نعامة) is a municipality in Naâma Province, Algeria, of which it is the province seat. It is coextensive with the district A district is a type of administrative division that, in some countries, is ...
: 3–6, February 8, 2012 :*
Oum El Bouaghi Oum El Bouaghi ( ar, أم البواقي) is a municipality in Algeria. It is the capital of Oum El Bouaghi Province Oum El Bouaghi or Oum el-Bouaghi ( ar, ولاية أم البواقي) is a province (''wilaya'') of Algeria in the Aures re ...
: January 30, 2012; February 4–9, 2012 :*
Sétif Sétif ( ar, سطيف, ber, Sṭif) is the capital of the Sétif Province in Algeria. It is one of the most important cities of eastern Algeria and the country as a whole, since it is considered the trade capital of the country. It is an inner ci ...
: January 29–31, 2012; 3–9, 11–15, February 21–22, 2012 :* Souk Ahras: January 30, 2012; 3–8, 11–12, 14, February 16, 2012 :*
Tébessa Tébessa or Tebessa ( ar, تبسة ''Tibissa'', ''Tbessa'' or ''Tibesti''), the classical Theveste, is the capital city of Tébessa Province region of northeastern Algeria. It hosts several historical landmarks, the most important one being the w ...
: January 29–30, 2012; 3–7, February 11–12, 2012 :* Tiaret: 3–5, 8, 11, 13–14, February 22, 2012 :* Tipaza :*
Tizi-Ouzou Tizi Ouzou or Thizi Wezzu (, Kabyle: Tizi Wezzu) is a city in north central Algeria. It is among the largest cities in Algeria. It is the second most populous city in the Kabylie region after Bejaia. History Etymology The name ''Tizi Ouzou' ...
: 3–5, 7, February 13, 2012 * – Snowfalls were recorded in Gabès. * – On February 6, snow fell in
Gharyan Gharyan is a city in northwestern Libya, in Jabal al Gharbi District, located 80 km south of Tripoli. Prior to 2007, it was the administrative seat of Gharyan District. Gharyan is one of the largest towns in the Western Mountains. In 2005, ...
, Ghadames and Al-Bayda; meanwhile
small hail Graupel (; ), also called soft hail, hominy snow, or snow pellets, is precipitation that forms when supercooled water droplets in air are collected and freeze on falling snowflakes, forming balls of crisp, opaque rime. Graupel is distinct fro ...
blanketed
Tripoli Tripoli or Tripolis may refer to: Cities and other geographic units Greece *Tripoli, Greece, the capital of Arcadia, Greece * Tripolis (region of Arcadia), a district in ancient Arcadia, Greece * Tripolis (Larisaia), an ancient Greek city in ...
, where people confused it with snow, which is a very rare event.


Asia

* – Zvartnots and
Shirak Shirak or Širak may refer to: Places *Shirak Province, administrative division of Armenia *Shirak, Armenia, village in Shirak Province, Armenia *Shanbarak, village in Qazvin Province, Iran, formerly known as Shīrak *Shirag, village in South K ...
international airports are closed due to heavy snowfall. * – On February 8, temperatures in
Baku Baku (, ; az, Bakı ) is the capital and largest city of Azerbaijan, as well as the largest city on the Caspian Sea and of the Caucasus region. Baku is located below sea level, which makes it the lowest lying national capital in the world a ...
dropped to , breaking a 42-year-old record. Heydar Aliyev International Airport in Baku also suffered a serious problems and had to cancel some flights. * – On February 7, Georgian press reported that the country was experiencing the coldest winter in nearly 50 years, with important water bodies, such as Mtkvari and
Tbilisi sea The Tbilisi sea ( ka, თბილისის ზღვა) or Tbilisi reservoir (თბილისის წყალსაცავი) is an artificial lake in the vicinity of Tbilisi that serves as a reservoir. The lake has a length of 8.75 ...
freezing over.


Minimum Temperatures measured during the cold-wave

* Finland: -42.7°C (6 February) * Ukraine: -35.0°C (3 February) * Belarus: -34.3°C (12 February) * Estonia: -35.0°C (5 February) * Denmark: -25.9°C (5 February) * Italy: -23.9°C (7 February) * Greece: -15.0°C (10 February) * Malta: -2.4°C (8 February) * Netherlands: -22.9°C (4 February) * Serbia: -32.0°C (9 February) * Turkey: -34.0°C (9 February) * United Kingdom: -18.3°C (11 February) * Azerbaijan: -14.0°C (8 February)


See also

*
Cyclone Julia Cyclone Julia (also known as Medicane Julia) brought heavy flooding and hurricane conditions to parts of Europe, the Mediterranean region, and North Africa in February 2012. The second tropical or subtropical cyclone, second named storm, and the ...


References


External links


Cold Wave over the Eurasian Continent
Japan Meteorological Agency. {{Weather events in the United Kingdom Cold wave 2012 cold waves 2012 disasters in Europe Articles containing video clips Cold waves in Europe January 2012 events in Europe February 2012 events in Europe