Romania in the grips of frost

After several warm days for the winter season, now at the end of December Romania is in the grips of frost. Temperatures of minus 28 degrees Chave been reported and meteorologists say the New Years Eve night will be very cold, actually the coldest in the

Mihai Pelin, 31.12.2014, 13:04

After a very warm Christmas with temperatures of plus 16 degrees C, the whole of Romania has now come into the grips of frost. On Tuesday night very low temperatures were reported across Romania: minus 28 degrees C in Intorsura Buzaului, minus 24 degrees C in Brasov, minus 22 degrees C in Sibiu and minus 20 degrees in Targoviste. The lowest temperature ever reported in Romania was in Bod, near the central Romanian county of Brasov, where in February 1940 thermometers read minus 38.5 degrees C. According to weather forecasts this year the New Year’s Eve night will be the coldest of the past 53 years, says Mihai Timu with the National Meteorology Administration:

Mihai Timu: “The New Year’s Eve night will be colder than Tuesday night. Temperatures will range from minus 20 degrees C to minus 10 degrees C, and in the center of the country the lowest temperatures will drop under 25 degrees C. The weather will get slightly warmer after January 2nd, when temperatures will rise gradually, first in the north of the country and in the mountains and later in the rest of the territory. Towards the end of the week temperatures will become normal for this time of the year, with highs ranging from minus 4 to plus 4 degrees C, dropping during the night under minus 10 degrees C”.

Special measures have been taken across Romania in this period for the homeless people. In Bucharest the 2 centers of the Social Assistance General Division are waiting to accommodate around 550 people while warm clothes and shoes have been made available for those who refuse accommodation in the aforementioned centers. Town and city halls across Romania are also prepared to provide accommodation to the homeless.

Temperature variation causes a shock to the human body, doctors warn. They say people should avoid the consumption of excess food and should eat more fruits and vegetables. The most vulnerable people are those who suffer from chronic diseases, and special attention should be given to children and the elderly. The bad weather has also affected other European countries. In Bulgaria long haul freight transportation has been restricted. Croatia and Serbia have also been faced with low temperatures, massive snowfalls and blizzards. Italy has also been affected by bad winter weather. In Switzerland rail traffic has been disrupted due to the frost, while in Great Britain the lowest temperature of 2014 was reported Tuesday night.