Tuesday 10 February 2009

1709: The Year That Europe Froze

People across Europe awoke on 6 January 1709 to find the temperature had plummeted. A three-week freeze was followed by a brief thaw - and then the mercury plunged again and stayed there. From Scandinavia in the north to Italy in the south, and from Czechoslovakia in the east to the west coast of France, everything turned to ice.


The sea froze. Lakes and rivers froze, and the soil froze to a depth of a metre or more. Livestock died from cold in their barns, chicken's combs froze and fell off, trees exploded and travellers froze to death on the roads.
It was the coldest winter in 500 years.

(via Dark Roasted Blend)

1 comment(s):

Anonymous said...

i found this fascinating...ty for another great post!