2011 New Year celebrations

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NEW YORK, NY - DECEMBER 30: The Times Square New Years Eve Ball is tested the day before New Year's Eve December 30, 2010 in New York City. The 11,875-pound Waterford crystal ball will descend a 141-foot tall flagpole to mark the beginning of 2011.





Workers run a cable over the street in preparation for the New Year's celebrations in front of the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin, Germany, Thursday, Dec. 30, 2010. Hundreds of thousands of people are expected to celebrate the beginning of the New Year 2011 at the famous landmark in Germany's capital.



People dressed up as Father Frost, the equivalent of Santa Claus, and Snow Maiden, march in celebration of the coming of the new year in the town of Glubokoe, north of Minsk December 30, 2010.




LONDON, ENGLAND - DECEMBER 30: Members of the Etiwanda Marching Eagle Regiment perform during a warm up in Trafalgar Square on December 30, 2010 in London, England. The bands from the USA, are to perform at the 25th anniversary New Year's Day Parade through Central London tomorrow. Many of the musicians have been stranded in the USA, after flights were canceled due to heavy snow



Members of the Riverside City College All Star Band, based in California, rehearse for London's New Year's Day Parade, in Trafalgar Square, central London on December 30, 2010. Every January 1st, people gather from the Houses of Parliament to Trafalgar Square to watch the New Year's Day Parade in which various floats and marching bands perform whilst parading through central London.



People dressed up as Father Frost, the equivalent of Santa Claus, and Snow Maiden, take part in celebrations ahead of the new year in the town of Glubokoe, north of Minsk December 30, 2010.



Crews work the New Year's Eve ball that will hold Nicole 'Snooki' Polizzi, star of MTV's 'Jersey Shore', Thursday, Dec. 30, 2010, in Seaside Heights, N.J. The network planned to drop 'Snooki' from its Times Square headquarters but relocated to the reality show site after an objection by Times Square Alliance.




NEW YORK, NY - DECEMBER 30: The Times Square New Years Eve Ball is tested they day before New Year's Eve December 30, 2010 in New York City. The 11,875-pound Waterford crystal ball will descend a 141-foot tall flagpole to mark the beginning of 2011.



NEW YORK, NY - DECEMBER 30: The Times Square New Years Eve Ball is tested the day before New Year's Eve December 30, 2010 in New York City. The 11,875-pound Waterford crystal ball will descend a 141-foot tall flagpole to mark the beginning of 2011.



EDINBURGH, SCOTLAND - DECEMBER 30: Men dressed as Vikings lead the torchlight procession as it makes its way along Princess Street for the start of the New Year celebrations December 30, 2010 in Edinburgh, Scotland. Thousands of people joined in the torchlight procession, followed by the burning of a Viking long ship.



EDINBURGH, SCOTLAND - DECEMBER 30: Men dressed as Vikings lead the torchlight procession as it makes its way along Princess Street for the start of the New Year celebrations December 30, 2010 in Edinburgh, Scotland. Thousands of people joined in the torchlight procession, followed by the burning of a Viking long ship.



EDINBURGH, SCOTLAND - DECEMBER 30: Men dressed as Vikings lead the torchlight procession as it makes its way along Princess Street for the start of the New Year celebrations December 30, 2010 in Edinburgh, Scotland. Thousands of people joined in the torchlight procession, followed by the burning of a Viking long ship.




EDINBURGH, SCOTLAND - DECEMBER 30: Men dressed as Vikings lead the torchlight procession as it makes its way along Princess Street for the start of the New Year celebrations December 30, 2010 in Edinburgh, Scotland. Thousands of people joined in the torchlight procession, followed by the burning of a Viking long ship.


Times Square New Year's Eve Ball 2011






Edinburgh, Scotland Hogmanay Torchlight Procession


source: Daylife
photo: AP, Gettyimages, Reuters

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Grey skies see 2010 end with a whimper: Drizzle expected until January with freezing weather returning in New Year

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By DAILY MAIL REPORTER

A gloomy New Year: The Royal Albert bridge over the Tamar in Plymouth appears through the fog this morning


Showers expected across Britain through the week

Temperatures to drop below average as 2011 begins

December set to be coldest ever - a degree colder than previous record


The worst of the winter weather has passed but Britain can expect a cold and damp start to 2011, the Met Office has warned.

The weather is no longer being influenced by freezing Arctic patterns and air is now moving into Britain from the Atlantic but the mercury will fall again in the first days of January.

Some areas paralysed by heavy snow before Christmas are likely to be basking in relatively balmy temperatures of up to 12c (54f) today.


Covered capital: Boats pass under Waterloo bridge during a foggy day in London


But after mild conditions over the next few days, the weather will turn colder again next week, with temperatures expected to be below the 3.4C (38F) average.

Forecasters have also warned there will be fog in many areas of the country because of moisture in the air and there are fears that these ‘quick melt’ conditions, combined with heavy rain, could lead to flooding in parts of Devon.


Misty misery: Thick fog descends on Bournemouth seafront today, as walkers disappear from view on Boscombe pier


But the Environment Agency believes the risk of flooding in most areas is ‘very low’.

Unless there is an unexpected change, New Year celebrations should go ahead smoothly, without the transport nightmares that brought much of the country to a standstill in recent weeks.


Eye of the storm: A pigeon sits on a wall near the partially shrouded by fog London Eye


Most areas will remain above freezing on Friday night, forecasters are predicting.

In the North-East, which has been particularly hard hit by the Arctic conditions for the past month, temperatures will stay below average, but the ice is still expected to gradually melt away.

For the second winter running, a severe month-long big freeze has cost the economy billions and this December is expected to be the chilliest since records began 100 years ago.

So far December 2010 has been ‘over a degree colder’ than the previous record, set in 1981.

Forecaster Barry Gromett said: 'The national record goes back to 1910 and it's running by some margin the coldest December at the moment.'

He added that we were 'over a degree colder' than the previous record.


Foggy London town: The capital's most famous landmarks are almost obscured by the gloomy weather


Grim commute: London workers cross the Millennium bridge while St Paul's Cathedral rises through the fog


Sailing through the fog: A tourist boat ploughs through the grim conditions on the Thames


Rosie, a 10-year-old German Shepherd, had skidded into icy Connaught Water in Chingford, East London, and clung on to the ice as rescuers edged their way towards her


Meanwhile, airport operator BAA said it welcomed legislation that would 'improve the experience for passengers' as the Government considers new plans to fine airports millions of pounds.

Transport Secretary Philip Hammond said he wanted the air regulators to have new powers after Heathrow ground to a halt during the big freeze last week, ruining the holidays of tens of thousands of people.

A spokesman for BAA said: 'We will of course play a full part in the Government's discussions about this year's weather disruption and will make public the findings of our own independent investigation.

'We welcome legislation designed to improve the experience for passengers at the UK's airports.'


London Eye - December Snow 2010


source: dailymail [endtext]

New York's demolition derby: City clean-up crews wreck cars in frantic bid to clear streets amid apocalyptic post-storm scenes

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By DAILY MAIL REPORTER

Smash-em-up: An outraged Brooklyn Heights resident captures a New York City sanitation crew continually running into a parked car in Joralemon Street. Crews are desperate to clear up after the big blizzard


- Stranded air travellers endure further airport sleep-overs

- Incoming passengers forced to wait on runway for six hours

- Medical crews given a 20-minute time limit to treat patients

- Angry New Yorkers turn on Mayor Bloomberg


New Yorkers were today struggling to cope with the aftermath of one of the biggest snow storms to hit the region, severely hampering public transportation and leaving thousands without power.

The city's sanitation crews are faced with the twin problems of banked up show and abandoned cars in the streets, and angry residents have rounded on Mayor Michael Bloomberg to demand a swifter clean-up operation.

Amateur film footage shows one crew continually running into a parked car and causing damage to at least one other as they fight against time to get the city up and running again.

A Brooklyn Heights resident caught the scene on tape, as the crew clearly threw caution to the wind and muscled its way out of Joralemon Street near Hicks Street.


Extensive damage: Almost clear of the parked car, the operator of the plough unbelievably swings the bucket into the back of the car, sending it into the car in front (the car's bumper can be seen lying in the snow)


An estimated two feet of snow piled up over the weekend, forcing the cancellation of 4,500 flights in the New York region alone - and closing down major airports in Boston and Philadelphia.

Trains and buses were also cancelled in the region and emergency crews were struggling to get toi the scenes of scores of road accidents.

While the Federal Aviation Administration said yesterday that the region's major airports were back open for business, all were reporting delays of of two hours or more.

The storm whipped through the Northeast from Sunday to Monday, stranding tens of thousands of travellers trying to return home after the Christmas holiday.

Elizabeth, New Jersey, just south of Newark, was covered by three feet of snow.



Summing up New Yorkers' moods: An exasperated resident has gouged 'HELP' into the snow on a car window on West 73rd Street. Many of the city's streets remain impassable


King of the hill: Martino Banella, 10, stands on top of a mound of snow in Time Square during a vacation with his family from Italy. Sanitation crews literally have a to move a mountain of snow


Underground and under snow: Around two feet of snow fell on New York over Sunday and Monday, disrupting air and rail travel and challenging motorists with blowing snow and icy roads. Subways also closed down


The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey said it would take up to three days before flights would return to normal schedules.

The backlog of cancelled and accumulated flights since Sunday could mean that many travellers might be stranded through the New Year.

Port Authority spokesman Steve Coleman told the New York Times: 'We have arrivals, we have departures, but we're still looking at a lot of cancellations.

'It could take days to clear because you had two days of no flights.'

And it's not just outbound passengers being delayed. Planes arriving in New York have been forced to wait on the tarmac for up to eight hours at JFKl Airport because of a lack of terminal space and customs processing capacity.


Buried: A Sanitation Department plough truck is stuck on West 16th Street in Brooklyn, New York. Other bogged and buried cars and emergency vehicles have hampered clean-up operations throughout the city


Landed and stranded: Aircraft landing at JFK have been stuck on the tarmac due to lack of space at terminal stands, meaning passengers have been sealed in planes for up to seven hours



Terminal delays: Meanwhile, piling up in the terminals, thousands of travellers and their luggage wait for their flights to be rescheduled. Many will still be waiting to get home into the New Year, say experts


CNN reported that a Cathay Pacific Airways flight from Vancouver that landed at 2.15am and was still on the tarmac in the afternoon.

A British Airways flight was stranded for seven hours and it was six hours before passengers on an Aeromexico flight were able to get off the plane.

Getting in and around New York remained extremely difficult because of reduced subway and bus services, and with many streets still clogged with snow.

In addition to the snow, many drivers simply abandoned their vehicles and clean-up crews cannot contact the vehicles owners or tow them in treacherous conditions.

Mr Bloomberg insisted that the city was doing all it could to clear streets of snow and abandoned vehicles, but he was drawing angry criticism from residents and political opponents for not doing enough quickly enough.


Sun and snow: New Yorkers are seen trying to go about their day as the snow remains uncleared. Mayor Michael Bloomberg - under attack over the city's slow response - has appealed for patience


Mr Bloomberg said that he did not know when all of the city’s streets might be plowed, adding: 'This storm is not like any other we’ve had to deal with.

When a reporter relayed people’s anger about what they believed had been a lackluster response to the blizzard, Mr Bloomberg interrupted with: 'I’m angry, too.'

City Council Speaker Christine C. Quinn said she would hold an oversight committee into the city's reaction in two weeks' time.

But she said the response was unacceptable, adding that 'the collective storm response was not anywhere near up to the standards New Yorkers are accustomed to'.

The mayor had angered New Yorkers on Monday by saying: 'The world has not come to an end. The city is going fine.'


Winter wonderland: Despite resident anger and calls for a faster clean-up, New York's children have been taking the opportunity to use the city as their playground


The Day After Tomorrow: Scenes in New York are reminiscent of, but not quite as bad as, the 2004 disaster film. Coincidentally, experts say it will be the day after tomorrow before things start getting back to normal


To thousands of residents trapped in their houses or streets - many suffering a lack of electricity or heating - Mr Bloomberg's comments were insensitive and totall off the mark.

Patchy or nonexistent service on subways, buses and commuter trains continued to hamper the city's efforts to get back to normal.

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority said subway service was operating but with outages on a number of lines, especially those open to the elements.

Some train service had also been restored on the Long Island Rail Road on its Babylon, Huntington, Port Washington and Ronkonkoma branches. But many others, including the Oyster Bay and Long Beach lines, were out of service.


White Christmas: Festive decorations at the Rockefeller Center are covered - and in some cases buried - in snow. Residents have seen their dream of a white Christmas turn into an annoying nightmare


Ploughing on: A bulldozer with the Independent Environmental Services Incorporate helps clear snow from West 50th Street. THousands of streets and sidewalks will have to be cleared before the city can start moving


Bus service has fared even worse, with many areas outside Manhattan having no buses at all because of impassible roads.

The epic blizzard has also caused an unexpected and life-threatening side-effect.
NYC medics are so busy that, for the first time in history, they have been given a time limit for performing CPR on patients.

The New York Post revealed that emergency services normally call a doctor for advice after working on a patient for 20 minutes. The doctor can allow them to contunue to revive a patient for more than an hour.

But, faced with an enormous backlog of 1,300 calls, the medics have been told to give up after 20 minutes and move on to the next case.




source: dailymail
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Walk through deep snow

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A man who gave his name as Marcus cross country skis through snow in New York's Times Square December 27, 2010 after a blizzard dropped 18 to 20 inches (46 to 51 cm) of snow in the area. The tail end of a powerful blizzard across the US north-east snarled plans for millions of holiday travelers Monday, forcing New York airport closures and crippling road and rail traffic. The New York area was especially hard hit. John F. Kennedy International Airport and La Guardia Airport, as well as Newark International in New Jersey, were closed Sunday and overnight and were not due to reopen until 4:00 pm (2100 GMT).




A pedestrian struggles to walk through deep snow in New York December 27, 2010 after a blizzard dropped 18 to 20 inches (46 to 51 cm) of snow in the area. The tail end of a powerful blizzard across the US north-east snarled plans for millions of holiday travelers Monday, forcing New York airport closures and crippling road and rail traffic. The New York area was especially hard hit. John F. Kennedy International Airport and La Guardia Airport, as well as Newark International in New Jersey, were closed Sunday and overnight and were not due to reopen until 4:00 pm (2100 GMT).




Tourists walk thorugh a nearly empty Times Square during the morning December 27, 2010 in New York after a blizzard dropped 18 to 20 inches (46 to 51 cm) of snow in the area. The tail end of a powerful blizzard across the US north-east snarled plans for millions of holiday travelers Monday, forcing New York airport closures and crippling road and rail traffic. The New York area was especially hard hit. John F. Kennedy International Airport and La Guardia Airport, as well as Newark International in New Jersey, were closed Sunday and overnight and were not due to reopen until 4:00 pm (2100 GMT).




A child looks up at a snow man in a Bucharest park, Tuesday, Dec. 28, 2010.



A child pats a snow man in a Bucharest park, Tuesday, Dec. 28, 2010.



A woman plays with her dog trying to catch a glove as she walks in a snow covered park in the Belarusian capital Minsk on December 28, 2010. Temperatures in Minsk dropped today to -6° C (21 F).



Belarus loccals dressed as Fathers Frost and Snow Maidens march along a street during a traditional Christmas parade in Minsk on December 25, 2010.


source: daylife
photo: Gettyimages
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Total white out: U.S. East Coast travellers warned to stay indoors as airports, road and rail grind to a halt and 'monster blizzard' expected to last

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By Daily Mail Reporter

Heavy falls: Road crews in Brooklyn, New York, battle to keep major roads clear overnight as high winds and heavy snow falls continue to cover the northeast of the U.S.


- Motorists stranded on snow-clogged routes as plows cannot get through

- 1,400 flights out of New York's three major airports cancelled

- Train and bus services on East Coast suspended after two foot of snow

- New York gets December average of snow in a day

- Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, New Jersey declare states of emergency


Blizzard conditions have reduced parts of the U.S. East Coast to a virtual standstill after airports were forced to cancel flights, trains shut down and roads were clogged by heavy snow.

The winter storm has wreaked havoc on travellers returning from the Christmas period from the Carolinas to Maine, leaving many stranded by the freezing conditions.

Airlines are scrambling to rebook passengers on thousands of cancelled flights - more than 1,400 out of New York's three major airports alone - and said they did not expect normal service to resume until at least tomorrow.


Treacherous: Traffic inches along Interstate 95 in Westport, Connecticut, as the heavy snow and freezing temperatures turns to ice


Freezing: A lone pedestrian battles her way through the blizzard in New York city. The Big Apple has been hit by a whole month's worth of snow in a single day


Amtrak cancelled its service from New York to Maine, as well as other trains in Virginia.

The nation's largest commuter rail system, New York's Long Island Rail Road, also suspended its service.

Bus companies up and down the East Coast have closed routes and roads have been left with near zero visibility in the heavy snow and strong winds.

Five feet of snow has fallen in Monmouth County, New Jersey, and a bus with 50 passengers on board as become stranded on the Garden State Parkway with snow plows unable to get through.

Police officers have been forced to carry water and food to people on board who had become feeling ill in the cold.


Big freeze: A motorist attempts to dig her car out of snow in downtown Newark, New Jersey


Blizzard: People walk through the heavy snow in Manhattan's Union Square as the winter storm continues to bite


Cold weather for dogs: A man walks his pet along Commonwealth Avenue, Boston, as snow falls around him


Almost a foot deep: Pedestrians walking through a freshly ploughed section of Brooklyn give perspective to the fall. Roads, railways and airports in the region were all heavily affected by the appalling weather


Up to 25 inches of snow has fallen in some places, with the winter storm expected to create deep snow drifts.

States of emergency were declared in North Carolina, Virginia, Maryland, New Jersey, Maine and Massachusetts, where Gov. Deval Patrick urged people who did not have to be on the roads to stay home, to ensure their safety and that of work crews.

Nonessential state workers were told to stay home today.

State police in Rhode Island responded to several snow-related car accidents, including at least two rollovers, but no serious injuries were reported.

Air carriers began canceling flights on Saturday and warned that more cancellations were likely Monday. Operations were suspended Sunday at New York's John F. Kennedy International and LaGuardia airports and at New Jersey's Newark Liberty International Airport.

Delta Air Lines Inc., which has canceled 850 flights and expected cancellations Monday in New York and Boston, said it hoped to be back to normal by Tuesday morning, while United Airlines said it could add more flights Monday to accommodate stranded passengers.


Game over: A plow tries to clear the heavy snow from the pitch at Lincoln Financial Field. The match between the Philadelphia Eagles and Minnesota Vikings had to be postponed


Shut down: A sailboat is covered in snow in Great Bridge Locks Park, Chesapeake. Hundreds of flights across the U.S. have been cancelled because of the weather


White-out: A snowplow clears roads in Westport, Connecticut, with forecasters predicting up to a foot of snow in places


In Boston, Mayor Thomas Menino declared a snow emergency that bans parking on all major streets, and the New England Aquarium bubble-wrapped its four 5-foot-tall penguin ice sculptures to protect them from the wind and snow.

More than 2,400 sanitation workers were working in 12-hour shifts to clear New York City's 6,000 miles of streets.

'I understand that a lot of families need to get home after a weekend away, but please don't get on the roads unless you absolutely have to,' Mayor Michael Bloomberg said.

In Rhode Island, emergency officials encouraged businesses to let employees report to work late Monday, saying road conditions for the morning commute would be treacherous.

'You don't want to get your employees hurt,' said Steve Kass, a spokesman for the state Emergency Management Agency. 'The roads are not going to be good, that's for sure.'

The monster storm is the result of a low pressure system off the North Carolina coast and strengthened as it moved northeast, the National Weather Service said.

Because of it, parts of the South had their first white Christmas since records have been kept.


Winter wonderland: People stand in a snow-bound Times Square as the freezing conditions looked set to continue


Hazardous: A car makes its way along an icy road in rural Chesapeake, Virginia


Not all doom and gloom: For those not attempting to travel or shop - such as Aaron Theen, 14, and his dog Fax at their home in Chesapeake, Virginia - the snow was a lot of fun


The snow began falling in New York in late morning, and by 5pm it had already eclipsed the average of 3.3 inches for the month of December.

Sledders, snowboarders, hikers and even a few skiers were soon out in the storm, but there was litle joy to be had for anyone trying to travel.

New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg warned that the storm could quickly turn dangerous, which could down trees, disrupt railroad signal systems and pose hazards for drivers.
He also expressed concern for the city's homeless, who had no way and nowhere to escape the freezing temperatures.

Mr Bloomberg promised that major roads would be cleared by ploughs overnight, and there was evidence that work had got underway.

But he told commuters to take mass transit into work. Trains, subways and buses were expected to be running.


Out of control: A New Jersey state trooper arrives to assist people after their cars collided in a heavy snowfall on Route 295 near Columbus on Boxing Day


I need some air! A dog looks out of a car window while stopped in traffic during a snowstorm on I95 in New Jersey on Sunday


Snowpocalypse: A man crosses Lexington Avenue on the east side of Manhattan as snow falls on Boxing Day. New York was expecting up to 16inches in the storm


Amtrak cancelled trains south of Washington to Richmond and Newport News, Virginia -, and later those between New York and Boston - , citing problems with high winds that affect signals, switches and overhead wires.

The service between Washington and New York was not affected.

More than 2,000 flights were cancelled by major airlines on the Eastern Seaboard, 1,444 of them at Kennedy International and La Guardia Airports in New York and Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey.

The knock-on effect of the cancellations affected hundreds of other flights from Chicago and Atlanta, and even from London and Paris.

One terminal at Kennedy was turned into a campsite of refugees. Entire families rested on stacks of luggage, or slept restlessly on the floor.

People who ventured out in cars found major roads treacherous.Bus carriers cancelled service between Washington and Boston.


Nice weather for polar bears: A pedestrian walks along a snow-choked street on New York's Upper East Side


Grounded: More than 2,000 commercial flights were cancelled as the big storm rolled in, including about 1,400 flights from JFK, La Guardia and Newark, pictured above


Hopeless situation: Travellers soon realised that they would be waiting a long time before flights returned to normal. JFK transformed part of its airport into a refugee camp


The day after Christmas was the second-highest revenue day for retailers last year with $7.9billion spent, according to ShopperTrak.

The nation's largest mall, the Mall of America in Bloomington, Minnesota, expected 100,000 shoppers Sunday, a bustling crowd on a day of respite from heavy snow that has plagued the area.

'We happen to have good weather, unlike what we've been having,' spokesman Dan Jasper said. He expects holiday revenue for stores at the mall will rise eight per cent over last year.

The monster storm is the result of a low pressure system off the North Carolina coast that will strengthen into a major storm as it moves northeast, according to the National Weather Service.

Early Sunday, winter storm warnings stretched from Georgia through the northeastern New England states.




source: dailymail [endtext]