- Historically violent winter storms have gripped North America.
- In both the US and Canada, people are struggling with temperatures that have dropped to minus 20 degrees Celsius in some regions.
- 5000 flights have already had to be cancelled.
More than 200 million people in the United States are affected by weather warnings, according to the National Weather Service. That’s almost two-thirds of the entire population. The weather service warns of life-threatening low temperatures.
In the US state of Kansas, three people have already died in traffic accidents due to icy roads, writes the Kansas Highway Patrol.
According to the weather experts, a so-called bomb cyclone developed near the Great Lakes. Such a phenomenon occurs when, in a strong storm, the air pressure drops very quickly.
Around 1.5 million households and businesses were without electricity. In addition, up to 5,000 flights in the USA had to be canceled on Friday. This is reported by the FlightAware website.
The winter storm has North America firmly in its grip
Emergency shelters have been set up in numerous US cities to protect the homeless and those in need from the life-threatening cold.
Similar conditions also prevail in Canada. Tens of thousands of households and companies were without power – hundreds of flights have been canceled so far. In addition, schools were closed. Authorities are warning people not to go outside.