Canadians are forced to bundle up on this New Year’s day. Extreme wind chill warnings are still in effect for northern Manitoba, parts of Ontario, New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador and much of Quebec.
The weather didn’t stop revellers from taking in outdoor New Year’s eve celebrations last night however and all planned events reportedly went ahead, despite the frigid temperatures.
In some areas, temperatures have reached nearly -50°C with the combined effect of the Arctic air and winds. Exposed skin can freeze in as little as 5 minutes under these conditions.
By comparison, it will be -38°C today (January 2nd, local time) in Verkhoyansk, Russia, one of the coldest inhabited places on earth.
Monday night and Tuesday morning, one airline flying small commuter planes cancelled flights in and out of Winnipeg, Manitoba.
And authorities in Toronto have issued an extreme weather alert. This sets in motion a number of measures to help homeless people so that they’re not left out in the cold. An additional 26 shelter beds are being made available and rules — like not letting people in if they’re intoxicated — are being relaxed.
Several hundred people in Ontario, Quebec and New Brunswick are still without power, more than a week after an ice storm damaged power lines. But crews in all three provinces say they’re making progress in restoring electricity to clients still in the dark.
The Siberian cold that has plunged a large portion of the country into a deep freeze is expected to persist at least into tomorrow.
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