Latest news with #coldsnap
The Independent
2 days ago
- Climate
- The Independent
State of emergency as rare cold snap kills seven in South America
Uruguay has declared a state of emergency after an unprecedented cold snap swept across the small South American nation, claiming the lives of at least seven homeless people. The unusual gust of frigid air extending from Antarctica dumped the mass of freezing weather on Monday, shocking a coastal nation with flat terrain accustomed to mild winters in the Southern Hemisphere. Light snow dusted parts of the country for the first time in four years as temperatures hit minus 3 Celsius (26 Fahrenheit) and wind chill readings dipped far below that. But the freeze was breaking on Thursday, with temperatures expected to rise across the country in the coming days. Health officials issued numerous warnings about the dangers of frostbite and hypothermia, with homeless people facing potentially devastating circumstances. Outreach workers fanned out around the city, trying to convince people to come indoors. The seven homeless people who died from exposure to the cold were found in various parts of the country — one man who had been sleeping under a bridge, another in a bus station, another in a tent near the river. The homeless population in the economically stable nation of 3.4 million has steadily climbed in recent years, with the Ministry of Social Development in 2024 reporting over 2,700 homeless people — the vast majority in the capital of Montevideo. President Yamandú Orsi this week invoked rare executive emergency authorities that empowered police and other officials to forcibly remove homeless people from the streets, citing a level of risk for the rough sleepers that Uruguay has seldom seen. "The possibility of mandatory evacuation has been applied for the first time because the scale of the problem really requires other tools,' said Leandro Palomeque, director of Uruguay's National Emergency System. Authorities opened 32 new warming centers and three more sprawling evacuation spots — including by converting public gyms and a police academy — and prepared some 1,000 extra beds. Inside one shelter, social workers distributed blankets and hot meals to scores of people who warmed themselves around the steaming vats of meat stew, their faces flushed from the searing winds. Some said police forcibly removed them from the street. 'I was lying on a small table, and the police came and told me I couldn't be on the street,' said Mauricio Rodríguezs. ' I didn't want to come.' Others, reaching the limit of how much they could withstand, sought out a warm bed. 'The worst time of winter is dusk, when the cold starts to set in and your body can't take it anymore,' said Lucas Bilhere, 19, wrapping himself in a blanket in the Montevideo evacuation center. His puppy, Alaska, pranced around the orderly rows of vinyl mattresses strewn with donated sheets where hundreds of people slept bundled up on the polished gymnasium floor. Rumpled shirts and damp socks hung from the nets of soccer goals. Unlike in normal shelters, the warming centers allowed homeless people to bring pets and personal belongings and remained open during the daytime. As much as Bilhere said he dreaded this wintry weather, he feared just as much what would happen when the cold snap passed and the emergency shelters closed. 'My dream is to have my own home ... and sleep warm,' he said. ' I wish that for everyone.'
News.com.au
3 days ago
- Climate
- News.com.au
Snow-bearing cold snap to stay for the weekend as Mount Buller in Victoria blanketed by 40cm of snow
A cold snap has plunged large swathes of the Australian southeast into frigid temperatures – some regions blanketed in up to 40cm of snow – and there are signs it is likely to endure through to the weekend. Parts of inland NSW have already experienced temperatures low enough to bring snow coverage, including the Central Tablelands towns of Oberon and Black Springs. Images snapped by locals throughout Wednesday and Thursday show the town enveloped in a thick blankets of snow. In Mount Buller, Victoria, local ski resort owner Rob Arvato told ABC News the snow was coming thick and fast. 'I reckon in the last 24 hours we've had in the vicinity of 35, maybe 40cm (of snow) on the upper mountain,' Mr Arvato said. 'As a kid growing up here on Mount Buller, I don't recall ever skiing in early-mid June. You know, it was very, very rare. To have this sort of snowfall across Victoria this early is really, really encouraging' he said. 'We knew the front was coming, all the models were showing snow heading our way, so we always remained optimistic. Mother Nature delivered right on cue … it really is an amazing experience … it feels like you're in Europe right now, it's amazing!' BOM meteorologist Miriam Bradbury said 'broad areas of high pressure' would bring cool mornings to large parts of southern Australia, keeping the cold trend going as Friday arrives. 'In New South Wales tomorrow, widespread morning frosts are on the forecast with morning fogs through the east,' she said. 'We area also likely to see hazardous surf conditions continuing for parts of the East coast, particularly for the Hunter and Macquarie Coasts with powerful southerly swells.' 'For Sydney tomorrow, we're heading for a shower or two and a top of 17C. After a frosty start in Canberra we're heading for a partly-cloudy top of 13C.' Across inland parts of NSW, the BOM predicts lows of -1C, with Canberra reaching a staggeringly cold low of -4C. 'Morning frosts across inland Victoria once again, then partly cloudy daytime conditions particularly through the south and west,' Ms Bradbury said. Wangaratta is gearing up for a low of -2C, with Shepparton and Albury-Wodonga reaching similarly cold lows of -1C. Down in Tassie, morning frosts and fogs will take hold of the state on Friday morning, with Launceston expecting the coldest low at 0C.
ABC News
3 days ago
- Business
- ABC News
Calls for energy debts to big companies to be wiped
As parts of the country feel the bite of a cold snap a new report is warning hundreds of thousands of Australians are in debt over energy bills. Anglicare has released a new report finding households on minimum are struggling with as little as $33 for left over after paying for rent, food and transport. They're now calling for more to be done including debt forgiveness for those doing it tough.
News24
16-06-2025
- Climate
- News24
Tuesday's weather: Fine, cool start to the week, but cold snap looms for SA
A cold snap is looming over parts of South Africa this week, with temperatures set to drop sharply from Wednesday. Expect fine and cool conditions for Tuesday in most provinces, according to the South African Weather Service (SAWS). Impact-based warnings A yellow level 2 warning for damaging waves is expected between Saldanha Bay and Plettenberg Bay, resulting in difficulty in navigation at sea from Tuesday until Thursday evening. A yellow level 1 warning for damaging winds is expected between Cape Point and Plettenberg Bay, resulting in difficulty in navigation at sea from Tuesday evening into Wednesday afternoon. ⚠️Warning update for damaging winds and waves #saws #saweather — SA Weather Service (@SAWeatherServic) June 16, 2025 In the SAWS' colour-coded weather warning system, yellow indicates a moderate risk of impact that requires caution and awareness, while orange indicates that a higher-risk impact is expected, requiring increased attention and preparation. The SAWS uses the numbers to indicate the likelihood of weather-based impacts occurring. Levels 2 and 6 are high, and Level 4 is low. Weather outlook for Tuesday & Wednesday, 17 - 18 June 2025. Partly cloudy conditions are expected over the southern areas with isolated rain & showers along the south coast. Otherwise, fine & cool, but it will be warm in places in the north. #saws #weatheroutlook — SA Weather Service (@SAWeatherServic) June 15, 2025 Advisories Very cold conditions with daytime temperatures of 10 Degrees Celsius and below are expected in places over the interior of the Western Cape and Namakwa District (Northern Cape) from Wednesday through to Saturday. The weather in your province Gauteng: Fine and cool, but warm in the extreme north. Pretoria: 6°C - 20°C Johannesburg: 6°C - 20°C Vereeniging: 3°C - 19°C Mpumalanga: Fine and cold to cool, but warm in some Lowveld areas. Mbombela: 9°C - 28°C Ermelo: 4°C - 20°C Emalahleni: 6°C - 21°C Standerton: 4°C - 19°C Skukuza: 12°C - 30°C Limpopo: Fine and cold to cool, but warm on the Lowveld and Limpopo Valley. Polokwane: 5°C - 19°C Phalaborwa: 11°C - | 27°C Tzaneen: 10°C - 23°C Musina: 11°C - 26°C Lephalale: 6°C - 23°C Mokopane: 8°C - 20°C North West: Fine and cool. Klerksdorp: 4°C - 20°C Potchefstroom: 4°C - 19°C Mahikeng: 4°C - 20°C Rustenburg: 5°C - 21°C Vryburg: 2°C - 22°C Free State: Fine and cool. Bloemfontein: 2°C - 20°C Welkom: 4°C - 20°C Bethlehem: -1°C - 18°C Northern Cape: Cloudy in the morning, becoming fine, windy and cool to warm. It will remain cold in the west. Upington: 8°C - 24°C Kimberley: 4°C - 21°C De Aar: 5°C - 18°C Alexander Bay: 11°C - 19°C Springbok: 12°C - 15°C Calvinia: 9°C - 14°C Sutherland: -1°C - 13°C Western Cape: Partly cloudy and cool to cold, but fine in the north-east. Cloudy skies with possible rain can be expected in the south and south-west. Cape Town: 11°C - 14°C Vredendal: 10°C - 19°C Riversdale: 11°C - 17°C George: 12°C - 15°C Worcester: 10°C - 15°C Beaufort West: 10°C - 16°C Oudtshoorn: 8°C - 15°C Western half of the Eastern Cape: Fine in the north, partly cloudy and cool elsewhere. Isolated showers are expected along the coast with cloudy conditions south of the escarpment in the morning. Eastern half of the Eastern Cape: Fine and cool, but cold north of the escarpment. Partly cloudy conditions are expected in the far west. Gqeberha: 15°C - 17°C Makhanda: 10°C - 17°C Cradock: 5°C - 21°C Graaff-Reinet: 6°C - 19°C East London: 15°C - 19°C Port St Johns: 13°C - 21°C Mthatha: 7°C - 21°C Komani: 5°C - 19°C Qonce: 10°C - 18°C KwaZulu-Natal: Morning fog patches in the north-east, otherwise fine and cool to warm. Durban: 14°C - 24°C Richards Bay: 12°C - 25°C Pietermaritzburg: 7°C - 23°C Ladysmith: 0°C - 21°C
ABC News
11-06-2025
- Climate
- ABC News
Rescues at Mt Hotham after snow strands holiday-makers
On today's show: A cold snap has hit the Victorian Alpine region and the Central Table lands of New South Wales bringing with it snow. Emergency crews are on call to rescue anyone stuck in the freezing conditions after heavy snow hit the area over the weekend. The conditions proved tough for rescuers who pulled 13 people out of the snow - who were trapped in their cars - near Dargo High Plains Road at Mount Hotham in the Victorian Alpine region. Reporter: Ashlee Aldridge (Wodonga) A popular tourist town in Western Australia's south says visitors are likely to face increased costs, due to power shortages. Bremer Bay business owners say buying expensive diesel generators appears to be the only option available to avoid blackouts, as rolling outages plague the tourist town. Reporter: Andrew Chounding (Albany) Queensland's tropical island resorts were once the playgrounds of the rich and famous, but now, many are falling into ruin. The State Government is moving to take back control from owners who have neglected the valuable tourism assets. Reporter: Kristy Sexton-McGrath (Cairns) Farmers across southern Australia are counting the cost to their mental health as one of the worst droughts in living memory persists. With parts of South Australia, Victoria and New South Wales experiencing record-dry conditions over the past year or more, the battle to keep livestock alive and grow crops without decent rain has taken its toll on farmers and their families. Advocates say while some regions are finally starting to see some rain in winter, mental health in the farming community could take years to recover. Reporter: Selina Green (Mount Gambier) A resident near Kempsey discovered 30 snakes in the shed and a large number of spiders when she returned home after flooding. Mould is another issue facing flood-affected residents, who are encouraged to ventilate their homes as much as possible. The NSW Reconstruction Authority is working to help about 150 households still in emergency accommodation return home. Reporter: Emma Siossian (Port Macquarie)
