It ’s Warmer in Iceland Than Parts of the Mediterranean This Week

Iceland will be warmer than parts of the Mediterranean this week as an icy blast from Siberia brings bitter cold to Europe along with the risk of travel delays and power cuts. Very dry Arctic air from the east will drive weather conditions for the coming days after temperatures plunged to as low as minus 36 degrees Celsius (minus 65 Fahrenheit) in Finland — more than 40 degrees below levels in Iceland, forecasters said. Energy prices jumped, with U.K. day-ahead electricity hitting a decade-high for the time of year. The biggest disruption is expected on Tuesday and Wednesday when “heavy and persistent” snow may cause rail and air travel cancellations as well as some power cuts, according to the U.K.’s Met Office. Two grid operators in England are already reporting disruption to electricity supplies due to the “severe weather.” Power and gas prices for next-day delivery climbed as the coming days are predicted to be the coldest this winter, with parts of the U.K. braced for the chilliest weather since 1991. The freeze is being caused by a rare weather event known as a sudden stratospheric warming which allows a high pressure area to draw cold air from Siberia across to Europe. European gas contracts last week surged by the most in almost a decade as demand soared. Russia’s Gazprom PJSC reported record levels of exports to Europe, with flows on Saturday beating the previous daily record in December by 2.4 percent. Italy is on the looko...
Source: TIME: Science - Category: Science Authors: Tags: Uncategorized Bloomberg Environment onetime Source Type: news