Freezing temperatures have brought eastern Europe to a standstill, with Poland bearing the brunt of the bitter cold snap. Temperatures plummeted as low as -20C in the Alps and -8.5°C in the Polish town of Zakopane in the Tatras Mountains. The harsh weather conditions were exacerbated by heavy snowfall, which affected much of central Poland and reached depths of 40cm in the south.
The snowfall was a result of an area of low pressure that moved north from the Balkans and collided with cold Arctic air over Poland. The sheer amount of snowfall led to a significant disruption, with 2,900 firefighter callouts made and 75,000 homes in Rzeszów left without power.
In Lithuania, a dramatic incident occurred when an Embraer E170STD aircraft veered off the runway onto a grass verge on a flight from Warsaw to Vilnius. Air traffic was severely delayed, with the return flight ultimately being cancelled.
Meanwhile, in Sri Lanka, extreme rainfall has triggered widespread flooding and devastation. The country typically receives between 250mm and 300mm of rain in November, but in a 24-hour period, over 250mm fell in many areas. This led to significant damage to up to 425 homes, with 40 people killed and 10 injured.
The unique topography of the region, which includes mountains such as Badulla and Nuwara Eliya, played a key role in amplifying rainfall through an effect known as orographic enhancement. As clouds are forced to rise over mountains, they cool, condense, and form new cloud droplets. This process creates a continuous cycle that results in increased rainfall totals in mountainous areas.
In Sri Lanka, the relentless rain has left many communities struggling to cope with the aftermath of the flooding. Temporary shelters have been set up for 1,800 families who have lost their homes, while rescue workers are working tirelessly to reach affected areas and provide aid. The situation remains dire, with many more days of heavy rainfall forecasted in the coming days.
The snowfall was a result of an area of low pressure that moved north from the Balkans and collided with cold Arctic air over Poland. The sheer amount of snowfall led to a significant disruption, with 2,900 firefighter callouts made and 75,000 homes in Rzeszów left without power.
In Lithuania, a dramatic incident occurred when an Embraer E170STD aircraft veered off the runway onto a grass verge on a flight from Warsaw to Vilnius. Air traffic was severely delayed, with the return flight ultimately being cancelled.
Meanwhile, in Sri Lanka, extreme rainfall has triggered widespread flooding and devastation. The country typically receives between 250mm and 300mm of rain in November, but in a 24-hour period, over 250mm fell in many areas. This led to significant damage to up to 425 homes, with 40 people killed and 10 injured.
The unique topography of the region, which includes mountains such as Badulla and Nuwara Eliya, played a key role in amplifying rainfall through an effect known as orographic enhancement. As clouds are forced to rise over mountains, they cool, condense, and form new cloud droplets. This process creates a continuous cycle that results in increased rainfall totals in mountainous areas.
In Sri Lanka, the relentless rain has left many communities struggling to cope with the aftermath of the flooding. Temporary shelters have been set up for 1,800 families who have lost their homes, while rescue workers are working tirelessly to reach affected areas and provide aid. The situation remains dire, with many more days of heavy rainfall forecasted in the coming days.
! Poland is really getting hit hard by this cold snap. Interesting how the snowfall is so deep in some areas - 40cm? That's crazy! And Lithuania, an Embraer plane just veered off the runway... that's insane 
. But I'm more worried about Sri Lanka, all those homes destroyed and people killed... it's like nature's fury is just too much to handle 
. The orographic enhancement effect in mountains is wild, but at what cost? Temporary shelters for 1,800 families, that's not cool 
. Hope the rescue workers can get there soon and provide aid.
. Eastern Europe's got some crazy cold snaps going on right now! Poland's like, freezing out there -20C and all that 
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. 250mm of rain in one day is just insane! I mean, I know it's a beautiful country and all, but come on, can't we have a decent weather forecast for once? 
It's like the whole place got flooded out from under them 
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. And those rescue workers, they're putting their lives on the line to help others? Respect 
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! Eastern Europe is literally frozen solid, I'm talking -20C in the Alps, whoa 
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. What's going on in eastern Europe? Like, freezing temps are crazy! -20C and stuff. Poland is getting hit hard, poor guys. And then this thing about the plane veering off the runway... what a nightmare 
. These weather events are so devastating for these communities. They need our help, ya know? The article mentioned something about orographic enhancement, but honestly, I don't get how that works 
. Can someone explain that to me?
. I'm all about DIY solutions when it comes to dealing with harsh weather conditions. I've got a stash of warm blankets and hot water bottles that'll keep me cozy at home. But, for real, eastern Europe needs some serious help. 2,900 firefighter callouts? That's insane 
. And poor Lithuania, what happened on that plane was so scary 
. I wish they had better infrastructure to deal with all this rain. I'd totally volunteer my time to help with the relief efforts if I could. But, for now, I'm just gonna stick to making some hot tea and offering it to those in need 
️. Anyone got any ideas on how to build a makeshift shelter? 
. First, Poland is freezing its butt off and 75k homes are without power, then you got Sri Lanka getting slammed with rain and flooding that's just devastating 
. I mean, can't we all just have a decent winter or rainy season without it being, like, catastrophic? And in between all this chaos, some plane crashes on the runway... I don't know what's going on, but someone needs to figure out how to get our planet back on track 
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. And it's like, what can we do? We're all in this together, right? Can't we at least try to help each other out a bit more? Like, temporary shelters for 1800 families in Sri Lanka is one thing, but what about the rest of us who are struggling too? 