Arctic Storm Causes Over 60 Deaths in US, Heavy Snowfall Hits Normal Life in Japan; Canada, Mexico and Austria Also Affected by Harsh Winter

Severe weather conditions have caused at least 60 deaths in the US, posing serious threats to the people in several parts of America and Canada. The death toll may rise as rescue operations are now going on in full swing. In several parts of America, people are facing power shortage. Thousands of flights have been cancelled and roads have become too dangerous to travel on. The National Weather Service of the US said that nearly four feet of snow fell at Buffalo’s airport by Sunday and snow is falling at the rate of two to three inches an hour in some parts of the country. Now, conditions are expected to improve with Tuesday experiencing a reduced amount of snowfall.

The Arctic storm has now spread to Canada, Mexico, Austria and Japan also, making life miserable. In Japan at least 17 persons have reportedly died, while Mexico and Austria are facing power failure, which is making the problem worse. The storm has stretched from Great Lakes on the Canadian border to Rio Grande along the Mexican border. Bomb Cyclone: Nearly 4,900 Flights Cancelled and More Than 4,400 Others Delayed in Last 24 Hours in US Due to Deadly Winter Storm.

15,000 flights have been cancelled

The storm is considered to be the worst of this century. Millions of houses in the US are living without a power supply. The freezing atmosphere, chilled wind and lack of heaters due to power failure, have made life in several parts of America miserable. The conditions in Iowa, Wisconsin, Minnesota and Michigan are very bad. The bizarre appears to have targeted Buffalow where lakes have frozen. In West New York, a layer of ice up to 40 inches can be seen. Atlanta, Chicago, Denver, and New York airports are covered with ice. More than 15,000 flights have been cancelled from these regions.

Japan is facing heavy snowfall

Japan is facing heavy snowfall and transportation has come to a grinding halt. So far, the death of 17 people has been confirmed. About 90 people were injured, most of them trying to remove ice from the rooftop. The emergency services and ambulances are unable to move due to heavy snowfall and wind. In Austria, about 200 personnel have been deployed for rescue operations in avalanches. Bomb Cyclone: 60 Deaths Reported As the US Ravaged by Severe Winter Storms.

State of emergency declared

A couple of days earlier, the governors of New York state, Kentucky, North Carolina, West Virginia, Georgia, and Oklahoma had declared state of emergency in anticipation of the arctic storm across the US and Canada. Wisconsin has also declared an “energy emergency”. Kathy Hochul, New York state governor, had said flooding and ice jams are going to wreak a lot of havoc in the community. She asked residents to avoid any non-essential travel. The US government weather forecasting agency described the extreme cold weather as a once-in-a-generation event, with among the most weather warnings ever issued.

Temperatures plummeted by 30 to 50 degrees Fahrenheit

The low temperatures are caused by an immense winter storm from the Arctic, the National Weather Service says. This powerful storm has caused temperatures to plummet by 30 to 50 degrees Fahrenheit in a short time in many areas of the country. And a low-pressure system along the Arctic front in the Midwest/Great Lakes region will result in heavy snow, it says.

Several places witnessing lowest temperatures on record

Several places could see the lowest temperatures on record as well as dangerous levels of wind chill, the NWS says. The cold weather would bring significant danger, experts warned. The low temperatures could lead to frostbite on bare skin in just five to ten minutes, the National Weather Service said. President Joe Biden said on Thursday, “That is not like a snow day, this is serious stuff”. The storm is already causing havoc on roads – in Wyoming, the Highway Patrol recorded 104 crashes and 787 calls for help in just 12 hours. More than 135 million people from coast to coast are affected by weather alerts, as the powerful Arctic, winter storm is set to bring temperatures as low as -70F (-57C) in some areas. Thousands of flights have been canceled, ahead of the busiest travel days of the year.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Dec 28, 2022 12:09 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).