Thundersnow Catches Many By Surprise in Athens, Greece! (credit: Agis Poulkou via Meteo Europe)12/29/2016   DISCUSSION: As shown in the upper-most graphic, over the last 24 to 48 hours there was a fairly strong low/mdi-level low pressure system slowly moving across much of far southern Europe. This particular extra-tropical cyclone focused the majority of its higher-magnitude impacts across a good portion of central and southern Greece. As shown in the video (attached just above) you can clearly see during the course of this particular eyewitness footage (courtesy of Agis Poulkou), there were several different occurrences of thundersnow and they evidently occurred in a number of different parts of southern Greece including (but not necessary limited to) the capital city of Athens based on the different scenery which appeared throughout the different segments of this particular snowstorm footage compilation video. The environment became favorable for convection in Greece over the last couple of days due to a significant increase in regional warm/moist air advection running into the cold air presiding over much of central and eastern Europe over the past several days and weeks for that matter. This evolving low/mid-level convective environment promoted a more favorable Wintertime set-up that ultimately promoted the developement of cumulonimbus clouds within the core of this strong winter storm's precipitation shield. As noted above, here is some of the great first-hand footage of the snowy conditions and thundersnow which occurred in and around the greater Athens metropolitan region on the 29th of December 2016.
To learn more about other high-impact weather events from across Europe, be sure to click here! ©2016 Meteorologist Jordan Rabinowitz
0 Comments
DISCUSSION: As a strong low pressure system continued to pound parts of far western Europe, there was certainly quite a scene to be had by all those positioned at or near the western-facing coastlines of Sweden. Due to the persistent and powerdul onshore flow associated with the aforementioned Northeast Atlantic low pressure system, there was very impressive wave action observed during the day on Tuesday, December 27th. Here is a great example of just some of the stormy weather and high waves in Gotland, Sweden. According to the latest data, some wind gusts reached over 30 m/s (or 65 to 70 mph) in the Baltic Sea region last night (courtesy of Jasmine Rosell). Note how those wind gusts were just short of attaining the minimum hurricane wind speed threshold which reinforced the serious nature of the threat tied to this intense wave action crashing into the seawall as shown in the first-hand footage attached above. These particularly strong wind speeds certainly made it difficult to travel smoothly either on the ground or in the air for that matter.
To learn more about other high-impact weather events from across Europe, be sure to click here! ©2016 Meteorologist Jordan Rabinowitz 
DISCUSSION: As a strengthening low pressure system continued moving across portions of the North Atlantic Ocean, many people across many countries including (but not limited to) Iceland were greeted by a very pleasant surprise in the form of a White Christmas as snow began earlier in the day on Christmas Eve. Some places across the southernmost sections of Iceland (e.g., in and around the city of Reykjavik, Iceland) and other countries further to the east across portions of far northwestern Europe. Thus, in the presence of this low pressure system, many hundreds of thounsands of people were happily greeted by this fresh snowfall which surely many enjoyed but others may have enjoyed it less so. Regardless, this fresh snowfall likely contributed to some substantial travel delays for locals as well as tourists travelling in and out of the capital city of Reykjavik, Iceland via the Keflavik International Airport.
To learn more about other high-impact weather events from across Europe, be sure to click here! ©2016 Meteorologist Jordan Rabinowitz Major Rime Ice Over in Parts of Siberia! (credit: Клуб Любителей Метеорологии via Meteo Europe)12/21/2016 
DISCUSSION: As a strong high pressure continued to dominate across much of the SIberian Peninsula, there was some incredible rime icing which unfolded as of much earlier in the day on Wednesday. As a consequence of extremely low temperatures being measured during the morning hours today (21.12.2016) over in Siberia, #Russia. The air temperature was nearly -58 degrees Celsius in the Siberian town of Surgut. The combination of the excessively cold temperatures along with some residual moisture in the air within this region of the world allowed for rime ice to occur as the moisture in the air quickly attached to any and all exposed surfaces. You can clearly see in the images above how rime ice absolutely plastered the outer surfaces of a mid-size Mercedes-Benz as well as a thermometer which also evidently became thickly coated with rime ice. When placed in a region wherein the temperatures become even remotely close to this cold, it is always imperative to remain cautious and avoid being outside if at all possibe.
To learn more about other high-impact weather events from across Europe, be sure to click here! ©2016 Meteorologist Jordan Rabinowitz  DISCUSSION: As a strengthening low pressure system continues to make its way across many parts of western Europe, there has been quite a widespread and impressive winter storm which delivered substantial snowfall across many countries. As shown in the image above (as captured by Gazzeta Pechenga), travel was clearly quite hazardous during the height of this event as also reflected by regional real-time air traffic patterns during the height of this particular winter storm which impacted many parts of western Europe! As always, if you or someone you know is ever in the path of hazardous winter weather-related threats, always stay on the side of caution so you remain as safe and secure and possible!
To learn more about other high-impact weather events from across Europe, be sure to click here! ©2016 Meteorologist Jordan Rabinowitz 
DISCUSSION: As a strengthening low-pressure system continued on its eastward journey across parts of south-central/southeastern Europe over the past few days, there was quite a classic set-up in place for heavy lake (or what is this particular case happens to be sea-effect) snowfall. As colder air from parts of northern/northwestern Europe gradually continued to head to the south and southeast with time,
Lake Effect Snowfall Machine Kicks into High-Gear off the Gulf of Finland! (credit: Meteo Europe)12/4/2016  DISCUSSION: Similar to the way by which lake effect snowfall is generated to the east or northeast of the Great Lakes region of the United States, other areas of the world also experience impressive lake-, bay-, or ocean-effect snowfall events under the right conditions. In the wake of the low-pressure system discussed in the previous post concerning the "winter wonderland" which many woke up to yesterday morning across parts of northern Finland, there was strong northerly flow which developed (also referred to as return flow) in the wake of the passing cold front associated with the aforementioned low-pressure system. As a consequence of the cold front passage, very cold air emanating from northern Sweden and northern Sweden passed over the warmer waters of the Gulf of Finland. The combination of this cold southward-moving air passing over the Gulf of Finland and sufficient low-level moisture being picked up by the southward-moving air parcels allowed for the development of a prolonged lake-effect snowfall event which impacted northern sections of Estonis (e.g., as shown in the image above which was captured yesteday in Karivärava, Estonia).
If you are ever caught in an area forecast to be or already is being impacted by a prolonged lake-effect snowfall event, it is imperative to be cognisant of factors including (but not limited to) increased pressure of snowfall on the roofs of businesses, homes, schools, etc. In addition, there is always an inherent threat tied to severely reduced visibilities which often makes most forms of travel incredibly hazardous and sometimes even life-threatening. Therefore, if you are ever caught in such a situation, always try to stay on the safe-side and avoid traveling if you do not absolutely have to do so! To learn more about other high-impact weather events from across Europe, be sure to click here! ~Meteorologist Jordan Rabinowitz A True Winter Wonderland Has Formed Across Parts of Far Northern Europe! (credit: Meteo Europe)12/4/2016  DISCUSSION: In the wake of a recent low-pressure system which impacted many parts of northern Europe over the past 24 to 48 hours, many people woke up earlier today to a "winter wonderland" with an overwhelming amount of snowfall which measured in feet in some places based on some reports. Although winter storms often impact society in a detrimental sense by which they reduce travel to a standstill (i.e., both on the road, in the air, and on the rails), they can also have positive consequences for many people by the same token. As seen in the image below (courtesy of the Meteo Europe Facebook page via Susanna (@ansusan), many parts of Finland (including this beautiful picture of a snow-covered forest in Lapland, Finland) were snowed in and some skiers were able to take advantage of the fresh powder! This just goes to show that snowstorms have both positive and negative consequences!
To learn more about other high-impact weather events from across Europe, be sure to click here! ~Meteorologist Jordan Rabinowitz
DISCUSSION: Flash flooding wreaked havoc across Southern Spain over the weekend, killing one woman in the basement of a nightclub early Sunday morning. Many towns across Spain’s Costa del Sol experienced the worst flooding in more than 30 years when a month’s worth of rainfall fell in less than 24 hours. A slow moving low pressure system of the Western coast of Spain was responsible for the heavy rainfall encountered over the weekend. Many residents and tourists (as the city of Malaga is a popular tourist destination) were caught off guard as the rain continued to fall on Sunday. Videos posted to Meteo Europe’s Facebook page show streets turning into rivers as the water rushed to lower elevation. Early Sunday morning, Spain’s Meteorological Service issued a ‘Red Alert’, the highest level of warning for “extreme risk” of flooding, later in the day once the rainfall began to taper off the meteorological service lowered the warming level down to an “important risk” level which is considered an ‘Orange Alert’ in Spain.
The town of Estepona was particularly hard hit by this storm as the Meteorological Service reported that over 100 cubic meters of rainfall fell during this flash flooding event. During the heavy rainfall event a 26-year-old Romanian woman working in the basement of a nightclub was overcome by the quick rising flood waters and unfortunately drowned when emergency officials were unable to reach her in time. Witnesses say that responders desperately tried to free the woman, but each attempt was unsuccessful. So far, only 1 death has been reported due to the flood waters, however officials fear there may be more. Several people were injured and many vehicles were abandoned and destroyed. In one town, the flood waters were powerful enough to knock down a wall onto cars parked in the street. Thankfully, nobody was injured. Emergency officials responded to over 600 calls for help during this 24-hour period. Dry conditions should prevail for at least the next several days across the region as residents throughout the affected communities begin the daunting task of cleaning up. To learn more about other high-impact weather events from across Europe, be sure to click here! ~ Meteorologist Jake Keiser Short-Lived Tornado Hits Parts of Far Southwestern Spain! (credit: Meteo Europe via MeteoHuelva)12/2/2016 
DISCUSSION: As strong storms fired up across far southwestern parts of Spain much earlier on Thursday morning, the lower to middle part of the atmosphere was also remaining increasingly favorable for the potential development of tornadoes. This was primarily due to a healthy combination of low/mid-level atmospheric instability along with sufficient clockwise rotation of the regional wind field with increasing height. Thus, the stage was fairly-well set for a decent tornado potential across some parts of far western Europe. As you can see in the image and video attached above, there was clear evidence of damage occurring to various structures on the ground based on debris flying through the air in the vicinity of the tornado. As always, if you are in the path or can see a tornado in the distance, it is imperative to always heed the warnings of your local weather forecast office or local on-air weather broadcast personality for live updated information since severe weather threats often change quite drastically on a minute-to-minute basis.
To learn more about other high-impact weather events from across Europe, be sure to click here! ~Meteorologist Jordan Rabinowitz |
Archives
August 2019
|
RSS Feed