- Title: GERMANY/BELGIUM: Freezing temperatures persist in Europe ahead of Easter break
- Date: 26th March 2013
- Summary: BRUSSELS, BELGIUM (MARCH 26, 2013) (REUTERS) FOUNTAIN AT SABLON PARK WITH SABLON CHURCH BEHIND FOUNTAIN AND WATER AT SABLON PARK ICE ON THE SURFACE OF WATER IN SABLON FOUNTAIN THREE WOMEN TALKING BY THE SABLON FOUNTAIN ICE ON SURFACE OF WATER IN FOUNTAIN ICE ON SURFACE OF WATER IN SUNLIGHT MAN EATING SANDWICH IN SABLON PARK FOUNTAIN IN SABLON PARK WITH ICE ON SURFACE OF W
- Embargoed: 10th April 2013 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: Belgium, Germany
- City:
- Country: Belgium
- Topics: Environment,People
- Reuters ID: LVA497OYPP420L4T5MT3ZE2V0LBR
- Story Text: An arctic chill continues in parts of Europe with many people planning their escape to warmer climates during the Easter break.
An arctic chill over parts of Europe kept humans, animals and flowers freezing on Tuesday (March 26), waiting desperately for spring to finally kick off.
In the Berlin zoo of Hellabrunn, flamingos, lions and even penguins suffered from the cold temperatures in their snow covered enclosures.
"Today we were planning to do our spring tour around the zoo. And now we have just experienced the onset of winter. Many animals feel the same as I do. They paw their hooves, flap their wings. The penguins as well. The mood for breeding is gone I would say," said zoo director Andreas Knieriem, hoping for the snow to melt quickly in the coming days.
Many Germans don't want to take the risk to search for their Easter eggs in the snow. "This Easter break is destined to be used for a skiing holiday, because it is very early in the year and the slopes are still in good condition, but many people have rearranged and travel to far away places," said travel agency managing director, Beate Arnold. The travel agency experienced a plus of 30 percent German-wide in long-haul travels over Easter compared to last year's figures.
As many people plan to escape the cold for their Easter break, garden centre owner Ulf Arnold stays in his warm green house with his daffodils and other spring flowers ready to be planted into balcony flower boxes and gardens. "So far the weather this year has a catastrophic impact on a business like ours. We produce ourselves many plants in the green house and have this big garden centre. The sales figures have completely gone down. You can not be resentful, because people are not cropping any plants outside. They would freeze to death, in some parts it is just not possible, because the ground is deeply frozen," he says.
Besides the arctic temperatures, many parts of Germany and Belgium have been blessed with sunshine. In the Sablon Park in Brussels people dressed in warm clothes took a walk to enjoy the ice on the surface sparkling in the sun. According to meteorologists, the cold spell will continue over the next few days - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
- Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2013. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
- Usage Terms/Restrictions: None