Washington: The cold wave sweeping across the US and Canada is so strong that sharks are dying. Many public events to ring in the New Year are being cancelled on account of the extreme weather. On New Year’s eve, the temperatures are expected to be 20 to 40 degrees colder than usual this year.
Sharks washed up on the shoreline of Cape Cod Bay. The Atlantic White Shark Conservancy said two thresher sharks were found, “likely stranded due to cold shock.”
In Canada’s Winnipeg, water doesn’t even have time to hit the ground before freezing. The Bell Capital Cup tweeted that games for its international youth hockey tournament would be moved from the outdoor Canada 150 rink, located in Ottawa, to an indoor complex “due to extreme cold weather.” International Falls, Minnesota, the Icebox of the Nation, recorded a record low of -36°F on Wednesday morning.
Watertown, New York, fell to minus-32 on Thursday. Its old daily record for the day? Minus 23. Several places (such as in New Jersey and Pennsylvania) have cancelled events to avoid risk of frostbite and hypothermia when people plunge into bodies of water. People even saw those who are skiing on the road by being pulled by a horse and buggy because of the snow-filled road.
One Twitter user posted a photograph of her window cracking due to the cold. The wind chills in New York City will be around 0 when the ball drops in Times Square. Since the tradition began in 1907, there have only been two years colder than this year — 1917 and 1962. Given the extreme cold temperatures that are leading to several events being cancelled, people are gearing up to bundle up and drink responsibly at home.
