Spaniards ski through Madrid as snow storm kills four

[rooster59]

Spaniards ski through Madrid as snow storm kills four

 

People are seen from the rooftop of the Circulo de Bellas Artes cultural center, as they stand and walk near the Cibeles Fountain during a heavy snowfall in Madrid, Spain January 9, 2021. REUTERS/Susana Vera

 

MADRID (Reuters) - A storm in Spain killed four people, paralysed travel and blanketed the capital Madrid in so much snow on Saturday that skiers took to the main Gran Via thoroughfare.

 

Forecasters warned of more havoc next week after Storm Filomena brought the heaviest snowfall in decades across central Spain.

 

In the Madrid area, rescuers reached 1,500 people trapped in cars, while on the usually traffic-clogged Gran Via, residents snowboarded and pelted each other with snowballs as well as ski.

 

"It is astonishing, we have never seen anything like it before," said Marcos, 30.

 

One man and a woman in a car drowned after a river burst near Malaga in the south, while two homeless people froze to death in Madrid and Calatayud in the east, officials said.

 

"I want to reiterate the government's call for maximum caution in the face of the evolution of the weather in the next few hours," tweeted Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez.

 

Julian Morcillo, of the State Metereological Agency (Aemet), said temperatures would plunge to minus 10 degrees Celsius (14 Fahrenheit) next week, bringing dangerous ice.

 

Between 20-30 cm of snow fell in Madrid, making it the heaviest there since 1971, he added.

 

The capital's Barajas airport was shut from Friday night, while nationwide, more than 650 roads were blocked.

 

"No solutions today," sighed Christopher, a Norwegian national living in Spain, stuck with his car on a road after an aborted attempt to reach a flight for Chile.

 

"I have been stuck here without water or any other help," added Patricia Manzanares, in her car on Madrid's M-40 motorway since 7 p.m. on Friday.

 

(Reporting by Graham Keeley, Juan Medina, Susana Vera, Guillermo Martinez; Editing by Frances Kerry, David Holmes and Andrew Cawthorne)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2021-01-10

 

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[jollyhangmon]

 

... darn, looks nasty, better switch the sangria for whatever 'Glühwein' means in Spanish ...

 

For Tuesday morning I see a prediction for 8 degrees for up here Phayao Centrale, will be chillastic as well, especially if wind continues.

 

[Bluespunk]

2 hours ago, rooster59 said:

while two homeless people froze to death in Madrid and Calatayud in the east, officials said.

 

"I want to reiterate the government's call for maximum caution in the face of the evolution of the weather in the next few hours," tweeted Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez.

Hopefully shelters for the homeless are being set up. 

[BritManToo]

2 hours ago, rooster59 said:

MADRID (Reuters) - A storm in Spain killed four people, paralysed travel and blanketed the capital Madrid in so much snow on Saturday that skiers took to the main Gran Via thoroughfare.

 

Global warming?

[Rimmer]

Troll post and a reply removed

[Bluespunk]

1 hour ago, BritManToo said:

Global warming?

The phrase is climate change...

[placeholder]

1 hour ago, BritManToo said:

Global warming?

So predictable. Another party who doesn't understand the difference between weather and climate. FYI this ywar tied 2016 for highest aversge temperature. And unlike 2016, 2020 had a temperature-lowering  La Niña.

[BritManToo]

15 minutes ago, placeholder said:

So predictable. Another party who doesn't understand the difference between weather and climate. FYI this ywar tied 2016 for highest aversge temperature. And unlike 2016, 2020 had a temperature-lowering  La Niña.

You'd think after 50 years of the world and Spain getting hotter, they'd be little chance of more snow, and temperatures of -10c.

 

But still an amazing photo of Madrid.

[placeholder]

10 minutes ago, BritManToo said:

You'd think after 50 years of the world and Spain getting hotter, they'd be little chance of more snow, and temperatures of -10c.

 

But still an amazing photo of Madrid.

Clearly, you do think that but anyone with a basic understanding of the difference between weather and climate wouldn't.

[pacovl46]

5 hours ago, BritManToo said:

You'd think after 50 years of the world and Spain getting hotter, they'd be little chance of more snow, and temperatures of -10c.

 

But still an amazing photo of Madrid.

What’s more astounding is the -35 degrees Celsius they had recently 400 clicks north of Madrid. 

[rudi49jr]

6 hours ago, BritManToo said:

You'd think after 50 years of the world and Spain getting hotter, they'd be little chance of more snow, and temperatures of -10c.

 

But still an amazing photo of Madrid.

Maybe you should read up a little bit about global warming and climate change. The overall tendency is and will be that weather extremes get more extreme, while the average annual temperature goes up, bit by bit. So this kind of extreme snowfall in Madrid, which has a (semi) continental climate with hot summers and cold winters, is perfectly logical.

[Dumbastheycome]

Geographical climate extremes are increasing. Those that insist on trying to dismiss the significance may become aware eventually.

There are other undetermined in effect changes this planet is also undergoing.

Assumed  food supply security is now becoming an issue to  consider as a genuine concern as  never  before.

 

[sharksy]

12 hours ago, pacovl46 said:

What’s more astounding is the -35 degrees Celsius they had recently 400 clicks north of Madrid. 

Andorra?  Only time I skied there, it was showing -32.  About 20 years ago

[pacovl46]

20 minutes ago, sharksy said:

Andorra?  Only time I skied there, it was showing -32.  About 20 years ago

The place is in the Pyrenees and is called Tuc de la Llanca. It’s about 50 clicks west of Andorra.

 

-32 is insane! ????

Edited January 11, 2021 by pacovl46