On Saturday, half of the country will get rid of snow. But we could face an even bigger danger: freezing rain, which can turn roads into skating rinks, according to Pro TV. Rain reaches the ground in the form of ice and coats the asphalt, electricity poles, houses and cars in layers of ice which is very difficult to remove. Such rain caused hundreds of road accidents with dozens of victims 14 years ago.
Snow drifts are nothing like the layers of ice that might cover everything as of tomorrow.
This freezing rain will appear because a mass of warm air enters our country. In the higher layers of the atmosphere, temperatures will rise. So when snow goes through this mass of warm air, it will melt and the resulting rain drops will freeze again when they get close to the ground, where temperatures are still below zero.
This is the first time in the last six years that such a phenomenon is reported in Romania. However, in 1998, freezing rain hit the entire country, resulting in 600 road accidents, 33 of them severe ones that killed 20 people.
Also in 1998, freezing rain hit eastern Canada and parts of the north United States. Four years earlier, the phenomenon had caused one billion dollars in damages in the south US.
Meteorologists are ready to issue an orange flag alert if the phenomenon spreads. Freezing rain can block traffic instantaneously, it can tear trees, poles, and electricity lines. It is also very dangerous for aviation.
The nightmare should be over on Sunday evening, when a new mass of cold aid will enter Romania, turning precipitations into snow again. And the cold weather is expected to continue all throughout next week.
"FREEZING RAIN". Fenomenul care poate paraliza Romania : Ploaie la -10 grade !
Sambata, jumatate de tara va scapa de ninsori. Insa ne-am putea trezi cu un pericol si mai mare: freezing rain sau ploaia inghetata, care are puterea sa transforme drumurile in patinoare informeaza PRO TV.
Stropii de apa ajung la sol sub forma de gheata si imbraca asfaltul, stalpii, casele sau masinile in straturi de sticla, care se curata foarte greu. Si pe care vehiculele nu mai tin drumul drept. O asemenea ploaie cazuta la noi in urma cu 14 ani a provocat sute de accidente rutiere, soldate cu zeci de morti.
Sleaurile formate pe stradute sau valurile de zapada de pe asfalt sunt nimic in comparatie cu straturile de gheata ce s-ar putea depune peste tot de maine.
Ninsorile dispar din Oltenia, Muntenia, Dobrogea, sudul Moldovei si Transilvania. Insa, in locul lor, se va instala un fenomen extrem de periculos - ploaia inghetata sau freezing rain.
Cum se formeaza aceasta ploaie?
O masa de aer cald, mediteranean, va intra in tara noastra. Ca urmare, in straturile mai inalte ale atmosferei temperaturile vor creste. In momentul in care precipitatiile cazute din nori sub forma solida vor trece prin acest strat incalzit, vor lua forma lichida.
Iar in apropierea solului, acolo unde temperaturile raman sub 0 grade, ploaia s-ar putea transforma instantaneu in gheata.
Un astfel de fenomen, de aceasta amploare, este primul inregistrat in ultimii 6 ani in Romania. In schimb, in 1998, ploaia inghetata ce a cazut pe tot teritoriul tarii, s-a soldat cu 600 de evenimente rutiere, 33 de accidente grave si 20 de morti.
Tot in 1998, o ploaie inghetata a afectat estul Canadei si portiuni din nordul Statelor Unite. Asta dupa ce, cu 4 ani mai devreme, acelasi fenomen provocase pagube de peste un miliard de dolari in sudul Statelor Unite.
Meteorologii sunt pregatiti sa emita cod portocaliu pe anumite zone daca fenomenul asteptat va fi de amploare. Este binestiut ca ploaia inghetata poate bloca instantaneu traficul pe sosele, poate rupe arbori, stalpi si mai ales cabluri de electricitate. In plus, aceasta ploaie inghetata este foarte periculoasa pentru aviatie.
Cosmarul ar trebui sa se incheie duminica seara, cand in tara noastra va intra un nou val de aer rece. Precipitatiile se vor transforma din nou in ninsoare. Si va urma o saptamina de iarna veritabila.
Cand picaturile supraracite ating pamantul, cablurile electrice, copacii sau avioanele ingheata instantaneu, formand o crusta subtire de gheata.
