New Zealand Local Weather Forum
Weather Discussion => International => Topic started by: Mark on April 06, 2013, 09:12:11 AM
-
Almost two weeks after snow engulfed thousands of livestock, desperate farmers are still battling snowdrifts up to 30 feet (9m) deep in search of their animals.
The grim realisation had set in for many that any animals they did come across would most likely be added to the mounds of dead sheep and lambs building up on farmyards across counties Antrim and Down.
Rather than tending to newborn livestock on her farm in Glenarm, Elaine McGarel was stacking carcasses.
Prior to the heavy snowfall she had a flock of 200. She has accounted for just 50 since.
In her farmyard there was a pile of dead animals, around 40 dead sheep and lambs which she had retrieved.
She knows there are many more in the snow-covered fields surrounding her property.
“It is heartbreaking, devastating for farmers,” she said.
Yesterday was the first day the carcasses of the thousands of animals that perished in the snow were being collected.
Farmers, many of whom face financial ruin, were told to pile dead livestock on their properties, cover them in tarpaulin and book a collection of the fallen animals.
http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/local-national/northern-ireland/as-thaw-sets-in-farmers-are-left-to-count-the-cost-of-the-heavy-snowfall-on-their-livestock-29170642.html
-
If you were hanging on for a bit of sunshine next month, you can forget it. This freezing spell is set to be followed by a wet and cool summer. Booooooo.
Forecasters warned yesterday that while temperatures will reach the seasonal average by mid-April, June will be wet and chilly.
This March was the second coldest since records began. reports Metro, with last month’s mean temperature a punishing 2.2C.
The cold weather is expected to continue for the rest of this week, with milder conditions next week, although next month Britain can expect a brief respite with ‘T-shirt weather’ but only for a couple of days.
Dan Williams, from the Met Office, said: ‘What we’ll see is temperatures going much closer to the average but we’ll see more unsettled weather with it, about with some brighter, drier spells."
Great.
http://www.tntmagazine.com/news/uk/really-awful-news-uk-set-for-cold-wet-summer-say-forecasters
-
Snow has fallen in parts of Devon in what has been described as "fairly unusual" weather for May.
Winds of up to 100kph also struck the South West coast overnight with a number of trees coming down, some blocking roads.
25cm of snow also fell in Shropshire and people have been warned to prepare for flooding.
Fourteen flood alerts are still in place in Devon and Cornwall following heavy rain on Monday.
Sheila Coates, from Princetown said "It's crazy. When I went to bed last night I couldn't see out of my front window for the snow.I've lived here all my life and I've never known weather like it at this time of year."
"The last really widespread snowfall in May was 17 May 1955 when much of England and Wales was affected by several hours of snow.
Snow was caused by very wet and windy weather across the region combined with falling temperatures after sunset.
The winds are expected to ease during with the weather getting drier and brighter.
About 12 homes are without electricity in Plympton St Maurice, Plymouth, after a tree crashed through power lines about lunchtime and landed on a parked car.
-WeatherWatch