The stage is being set for powerful storms in Europe, due to
the appearance of unseasonably warm weather there, similar
to the unseasonable weather that triggered powerful storms
across the eastern United States on December 16.
Europe is experiencing one of the warmest winters on record.
Normal German temperatures would be around 37 degrees
Fahrenheit at this time of year. Last week they reached 55 F
in Berlin, the highest temperature since records started being
kept there in 1908. Grenoble, France, reported a temperature
of 70 F.
In Britain, flowers have opened and roses are blooming. Baby
birds are being born out of season. The Royal Society for
Protection of Birds said, "It is very strange for any birds to
breed at the height of winter."
Strawberries are turning red in Austria. Ski resorts in France
are empty. Moscow has cancelled plans to open an outdoor
ice rink.
In Germany, people are not wearing their usual heavy winter
coats. Birds can be heard singing in the trees, as if it was
spring. At lunchtime, German workers picnic and sunbathe. In
Berlin stores, winters clothes have been marked down to half
price. A German TV weatherman, Jorg Kachelmann,
said, "Many records that have stood for 200 years have been
broken?What is most extraordinary is the length of time the
warm spell has lasted."
Meanwhile, a powerful blast of cold air appears to be moving
out into the north Atlantic, threatening Europe with a
substantial release of atmospheric energy as it clashes with
the warm air now hanging over the region. Current
forecasting techniques make it impossible to tell if the warm
spell will break violently in the next few days or weeks, but
such an event is certainly possible.
In recent years, Europe has suffered some of its most
devastating weather ever recorded, with 120 mile an hour
winds sweeping the continent in 1999 and extraordinary
floods occurring in Austria, Italy and Great Britain in 2000.
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