100 things challenge - 40: Winter of '63
Jan. 20th, 2013 03:46 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
birdienlThe winter of 1963, this year 50 years ago, was the coldest winter of the 20st century in large parts of Europe, in some places even the coldest winter since records began. In many countries of Western Europe it froze for three consecutive months and large areas were covered in snow all this time. The winter started in december 1962, when around Christmas the first snow fell. In the UK, a large blizzard swept over the South and West of the country, leaving up to 6,1 m of snow drifts in places. Roads and railways were blocked in large numbers and many remote villages were isolated. In The Netherlands, the Wadden Islands could no longer be reached by ferry and were supplied with the necessary food by planes and helicopters.
January 1963 saw the winter digging its heels in. Many nights, it froze over 10 C. Rivers and even the sea froze, leading to problems with shipping traffic. From the South coast of England, the sea froze for more than 1 mile. Problems arose with electricity and drinking water, as many electricity cables and water pipes had frozen solid.
The frost stayed almost permanently until the first week of March '63. Though many people saw the thaw coming with gladness, it brought new problems along with it. As the ground was still frozen for almost 1 m, the melting water and rain could not sink into the ground. This, combined with thawing rivers and other waterways, led to flooding.
The winter of '63 most likely cost over 1500 human lives across Europe. It is estimated that in the UK over half of the bird population died due to cold and starvation. Still, many people also have fond memories of the winter of '63, of skating on big waterways, such as the River Thames and no school for many kids for at least multiple weeks!
January 1963 saw the winter digging its heels in. Many nights, it froze over 10 C. Rivers and even the sea froze, leading to problems with shipping traffic. From the South coast of England, the sea froze for more than 1 mile. Problems arose with electricity and drinking water, as many electricity cables and water pipes had frozen solid.
The frost stayed almost permanently until the first week of March '63. Though many people saw the thaw coming with gladness, it brought new problems along with it. As the ground was still frozen for almost 1 m, the melting water and rain could not sink into the ground. This, combined with thawing rivers and other waterways, led to flooding.
The winter of '63 most likely cost over 1500 human lives across Europe. It is estimated that in the UK over half of the bird population died due to cold and starvation. Still, many people also have fond memories of the winter of '63, of skating on big waterways, such as the River Thames and no school for many kids for at least multiple weeks!
