page_title: Early 2012 European cold wave
section_title: Mediterranean Sea, Danube and Balkans
hierarchical_section_title: Early 2012 European cold wave / Countries affected / Effects / Mediterranean Sea, Danube and Balkans
caption_attribution_description: Deutsch: Donau in Wien im Stauraum des Kraftwerks Freudenau während der Kältewelle 2012
context_page_description: The early 2012 European cold wave was a deadly cold wave that started on January 27, 2012, and brought snow and freezing temperatures to much of the European continent. There were more than 824 reported deaths in both Europe and North Africa. Particularly low temperatures hit several Eastern and Northern European countries, reaching as low as −42.7 °C in Finland. The heaviest snow was recorded in the Balkan region. The cold weather was a result of an extensive area of very high pressure located over the north east of the continent in northern Russia, which circulated cold air from the east.
context_section_description: Italy, the Balkans and the Danube were in addition to cold weather also affected by heavy snowfall; Erfrierungsopfer also reported the majority of countries of this area, as well as extensive traffic delays and economic consequences. The cold wave covered the Maghreb in the western Mediterranean, as well as the Aegean, the Turkey and the Levant in the eastern part of the Mediterranean area.
  On Bologna fell 94 cm (37 in) of snow between February 1 and 12 with a maximum height on the ground of 65 cm (26 in); 190 cm (75 in) fell on Cesena (30m above sea level) with maximum height of 120 cm (47 in) and 326 cm (128 in) fell on Urbino where the snow accumulation on the ground reached 2 m (79 in) deep. Even Turkey, Spain and Portugal fell to low temperatures in early February, the temperature sometimes considerably below the freezing point. Snow fell in Mallorca for the first time since 1956, and even in Algiers, Algeria and southern Tunisia in Gabès.
  In Italy, there were extensive power outages (up to 120,000 people were without electricity) as well as traffic congestion, and  the Army had to intervene for snow removal: in Rome, where snow had fallen before the weekend of February 4–5, it was almost impossible to drive. Until the second week of February reigned throughout northern and central Italy tiefwinterliche conditions, particularly in Marche, in Umbria, the Abruzzi and Emilia-Romagna. In Rome, after the snowfalls of February 11–12, 2,000 passengers had to spend the night in Fiumicino airport.
caption: The Danube frozen near power plant at Vienna Freudenau
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