NUNZIUM

In the last few days, record-low temperatures have been registered in large territories of Canada and the US. A powerful and prolonged winter storm brought strong winds and snow in incredible amounts. The scope of the storm has been unprecedented, stretching from Canada as far south as the Rio Grande. The snowfall and blizzard conditions made roads impassable, froze power substations and left more than a dozen dead. At least 38 deaths have now been linked to this severe Arctic freeze. Storm-related deaths were reported in Vermont, Ohio, Missouri, Wisconsin, Kansas, and Colorado. South Florida's temperatures dropped so low that iguanas froze and fell from trees. Over 200'000 people were left without power, with their homes covered in snow and ice. Thousands of flights have been cancelled, preventing many people from reaching their families at Christmas. The western US state of Montana is the worst hit by the cold, with temperatures dropping to -45C. Atlanta and Tallahassee, Florida, were forecast to have their coldest temperature recorded on December 24. Such an event is so rare that it should happen once in a hundred years. However, it is not the first potent and extreme weather event this year. The whole northern hemisphere was hit earlier in the summer by record-high temperatures and droughts. Recently, studies published by eminent climatologists demonstrated that the effects of global warming are to increase the frequency of extreme events. May this recent storm also be a consequence of climate change?