quinta-feira, 17 de janeiro de 2013


1. Aircraft Boneyard, USA
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The 309th Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Group (AMARG), often called The Boneyard is located near Davis Monthan Air Force Base in Tucson,  Arizona. For those of you that have never seen it, it's difficult to comprehend the size of it.
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The number of aircraft stored there and the precision in the way they are parked is impressive. Another important fact is that they are all capable of being returned to service if the need ever arises.
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AMARG is a controlled-access site, and is off-limits to anyone not employed there without the proper clearance. The only access for non-cleared individuals is via a bus tour which is conducted by the nearby Pima Air & Space Museum. Bus tours are Monday through Friday only. Both the museum and the Bone Yard are very popular attractions in the Arizona desert. [link1, link2, map]

2. Ship Graveyard, Mauritania
The city of Nouadhibou is the second largest city in Mauritania and serves as the country's commercial center. It is famous for being the location of one of the largest ship graveyard in the world. Hundreds of rusting ships can be seen all around, in the water, and on beaches.
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One of the most commonly read explanation for that situation is that Mauritanian harbor officers were taking bribes and allowing ships to be discarded in the harbor and around the bay. This phenomenon started in the 80's after the nationalization of the Mauritanian fishing industry, numerous uneconomical ships were simply abandoned there.
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The city of Nouadhibou is one of the poorest locations in the world. Right over these phantom beaches there are people living inside the huge merchant boats. [link, map]

3. Train Cemetery, Bolivia
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One of the major tourist attractions of southwestern Bolivia is an antique train cemetery. It is located 3 km (1.9 mi) outside Uyuni and is connected to it by the old train tracks. The town served in the past as a distribution hub for the trains carrying minerals on their way to the Pacific Ocean ports.
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The train lines were built by British engineers who arrived near the end of the 19th century and formed a sizable community in Uyuni. The rail construction started in 1888 and ended in 1892.
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The trains were mostly used by the mining companies. In the 1940s, the mining industry collapsed, partly due to the mineral depletion. Many trains were abandoned thereby producing the train cemetery. There are talks to build a museum out of the cemetery. [link, map]

4. Vozdvizhenka Aircraft Graveyard, Russia
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Littered with at least 18 gutted Tupolev Tu-22M Backfires of the 444th Heavy Bomber Regiment, Vozdvizhenka air base resembles a post-apocalyptic landscape. Entering this barren place, located near Ussuriysk in the Primorsky Krai region of Far East Russia, 60 miles (95 km) north of Vladivostok and 40 miles (65 km) from the Chinese border, is like taking a step back in time.
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The 444th Regiment was disbanded in 2009, with some aircraft transferred to the Belaya air base, and others dismantled (removed engines, equipment, and with holes cut in the fuselage).
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The aircraft carcasses are awaiting final metal cutting. Currently based at the airfield is the aviation commandant of Khurba airbase and the 322 Aircraft Repair Factory. [link1link2map]

5. Anchor Graveyard, Portugal
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Among the dunes of Tavira island, in Portugal, there’s an impressive anchor graveyard called the Cemitério das Âncoras. It was built in remembrence of the glorious tradition of tuna fishing with large nets fixed with these anchors, a fishing technique already invented by the Phoenicians.
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Tavira used to be a place devoted to the tuna fishing. They built up this anchor graveyard to remember those who had to quit their occupation when the big fish abandoned the coasts. [linkmap]

6. Soviet Tank Graveyard, Afghanistan
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On the outskirts of Kabul, Afghanistan there’s a massive collection of abandoned Soviet battle vehicles left behind after the failure of a massive eastern bloc military occupation of the country in the 1970’s and 1980’s.
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The Soviets left in a hurry and couldn’t be bothered to find a way to get broken-down tanks back home, so now they sit, partially stripped and covered in graffiti.
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Afghanistan has few recycling facilities, so this cemetery of tanks will likely remain where it is for many more years as a reminder of the Russian invasion. [link, map]

7. Submarine Graveyard, Russia
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The area around Nezametnaya Cove, close to the town of Gadzhiyevo, in Murmansk Oblast on the Kola Peninsula, is a cemetery where is located a lot of old Russian submarines. After serving their duty underwater, the submarines were brought to this restricted-access zone in the 1970s and then forgotten.
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Locals said that some of the old submarines were used for target practice in military exercises and often sunk, an employment of the old “out of sight, out of mind” strategy. Others were simply left in the bay to rust and rot, floating to the surface like so many whale carcasses. [link, map]

8. Moynaq Ship Graveyard, Uzbekistan
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Moynaq is a city in northern Karakalpakstan in western Uzbekistan. Home to only a few thousand residents at most, Moynoq's population has been declining precipitously since the 1980s due to the recession of the Aral Sea.
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Once a bustling fishing community and Uzbekistan's only port city with tens of thousands of residents, Moynoq is now a shadow of its former self, dozens of kilometers from the rapidly receding shoreline of the Aral Sea.
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For travellers the main reason to visit Moynaq is to see the ship graveyard, a collection of rusting hulks that were once the town’s fishing fleet. It’s an image that perfectly illustrates the disaster - once proud vessels beached in a sandy desert.
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Unfortunately there aren’t many left, as scrap metal companies made short work of them before the tourism authorities forbade it. In one final kick for a local population already downed, the money didn’t go to the people who owned the boats; it was divided up between the scrap companies and government officials. [link1link2map]

9. Taxi Graveyard, China
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Thousands of scrapped taxis are abandoned in a yard in the center of Chongqing, China. Traffic congestion and pollution have worsened dramatically in Chinese cities because the country's long-running economic expansion has allowed increasing numbers of consumers to make big-ticket purchases such as cars, which means many no longer have to rely on taxis or public transportation. [link]

10. Phone Booth Graveyard, UK
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This phone booth graveyard is located between Ripon and Thirsk, near the village of Carlton Miniott, UK. There are located hundreds of disused telephone booths.

Israel - Gaza conflito

Ataques aéreos israelenses começaram a 14 de novembro, após meses de disparos de foguetes palestinos contra Israel. Segunda-feira, o líder do Hamas se atreveu Israel a lançar uma invasão terrestre da Faixa de Gaza e rejeitou os esforços diplomáticos para mediar um cessar-fogo no conflito de seis dias de idade, como o Exército israelense realizou uma nova onda de ataques aéreos mortais que incluiu uma segunda bater em um prédio de 15 andares de mídia que os estabelecimentos casas. O que se segue é apenas uma pequena coleção de imagens dos últimos dias do conflito. - Paula Nelson ( 34 total de fotos )

Um bombeiro palestino tenta apagar um incêndio após um ataque aéreo israelense, em um andar em um prédio que também abriga escritórios internacionais de mídia na Cidade de Gaza, 19 de novembro de 2012. (Suhaib Salem / Reuters)

2
Pessoas ficam na frente de um elevado aumento organizações de habitação de mídia na Cidade de Gaza, 19 de novembro de 2012. Militar israelense atingiu o edifício pela segunda vez em dois dias. A estação de TV do Hamas, Al Aqsa, está localizado no piso superior. (Hatem Moussa / Associated Press) #

3
Um homem palestino carrega um brinquedo de pelúcia em uma rua repleta de escombros após um ataque aéreo israelense contra um centro esportivo perto da Cidade de Gaza, 19 de novembro de 2012. (Marco Longari / AFP / Getty Images) #

4
Palestinos evacuar um ferido após um ataque aéreo israelense em um edifício que também abriga escritórios de mídia na Cidade de Gaza, 19 de novembro de 2012. O primeiro-ministro do Egito, disse na segunda-feira que um acordo intermediado pelo Cairo para parar a luta entre Israel e os palestinos em Gaza pode estar perto. (Mohammed Salem / Reuters) #

5
Israelenses olhar-se como uma sirene sinaliza o aviso de foguetes de entrada no sul da cidade de Ashkelon, 19 de novembro de 2012. Israel bombardeou dezenas de alvos na Faixa de Gaza na segunda-feira e disse que, enquanto estava preparado para intensificar sua ofensiva enviando tropas, preferiu uma solução diplomática que acabe com disparos de foguetes palestinos a partir do enclave. (Amir Cohen / Reuters) #

6
Fumaça sobe depois de um ataque israelense contra túneis de contrabando na fronteira entre o Egito e Rafah, no sul da Faixa de Gaza, 19 de novembro de 2012. (Eyad Baba / Associated Press) #

7
cPalestinians saltar em um carro após a recolha de sacos de farinha em um centro de distribuição da ONU no campo de refugiados de Shati, Cidade de Gaza, 19 de novembro de 2012. Troca de tiros entre Israel e militantes de Gaza continuaram para o sexto dia nesta segunda-feira. (Bernat Armangue / Associated Press) #

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Palestinos apresentar sua identificação como eles esperam para receber ajuda alimentar em um centro de distribuição da ONU no campo de refugiados de Shati, Cidade de Gaza, 19 de novembro de 2012. (Bernat Armangue / Associated Press) #

9
Um menino palestino tende a seu cavalo no mercado central da cidade de Gaza, 19 de novembro de 2012. Os preços dos alimentos começaram a subir devido à falta de fontes frescas causadas pela agitação permanente com Israel, como produto escasso é encontrado com mais exigências por parte dos moradores do enclave palestino costeira. (Marco Longari / AFP / Getty Images) #




Aviso:
Esta imagem contém gráfico
conteúdo ou censurável clique aqui para vê-lo.

Um homem palestino chora sobre os corpos dos membros da família al-Dallu durante seu funeral na cidade de Gaza, 19 de novembro de 2012. Um míssil israelense atingiu um prédio de três andares na Cidade de Gaza, 18 de novembro, matando nove membros da família al-Dallu - cinco delas crianças - e dois de seus vizinhos, disseram médicos. (Mahmud Hams Hamsmahmud / AFP / Getty Images) #

Um membro da família de Abdel Aal é resgatado após a casa da família desabou durante um ataque das forças israelenses no bairro Tufah, Cidade de Gaza, 18 de novembro de 2012. (Majed Hamdan / Associated Press) #

Um sapador polícia israelense recolhe os restos de uma artilharia disparados por militantes palestinos da Faixa de Gaza que caiu no sul da cidade israelense de Ashkelon, 19 de novembro de 2012. Troca de tiros entre Israel e militantes de Gaza continuaram para o sexto dia nesta segunda-feira. (Tsafrir Abayov / Associated Press) #

Os israelenses se reúnem dentro de um abrigo antibomba depois que um foguete foi lançado da Faixa de Gaza, 18 de novembro de 2012 em Ashkelon, Israel. (Lior Mizrahi / Getty Images) #

Trabalhadores israelenses inspecionar os danos a uma casa que foi atingida por um foguete disparado por militantes palestinos da Faixa de Gaza, 18 de novembro de 2012 em Ashkelon, Israel. (Lior Mizrahi / Getty Images) #

Os israelenses se reúnem ao lado de uma casa que foi atingida por um foguete disparado por militantes palestinos da Faixa de Gaza, 18 de novembro de 2012 em Ashkelon, Israel. (Lior Mizrahi / Getty Images) #

Israelenses inspecionar os danos a uma casa que foi atingida por um foguete disparado por militantes palestinos da Faixa de Gaza, 18 de novembro de 2012 em Ofakim, Israel. Israel / Gaza ataques entraram no quinto dia. (Lior Mizrahi / Getty Images) #

Israelenses inspecionar os danos a uma casa que foi atingida por um foguete disparado por militantes palestinos da Faixa de Gaza, 18 de novembro de 2012 em Ofakim, Israel. (Lior Mizrahi / Getty Images) #

O pessoal de emergência israelenses inspeciona os danos a um carro que foi atingido por um foguete disparado por militantes palestinos da Faixa de Gaza, 18 de novembro de 2012 em Ofakim. (Lior Mizrahi / Getty Images) #

Israelenses inspecionar os danos a uma casa que foi atingida por um foguete disparado por militantes palestinos da Faixa de Gaza, 18 de novembro de 2012 em Ofakim, Israel. (Lior Mizrahi / Getty Images) #

Um homem palestino olha para a destruição após ataques aéreos israelenses na Cidade de Gaza, 19 de novembro de 2012. Ataques aéreos israelenses no domingo matou 31 palestinos no dia mais sangrento até agora de sua campanha aérea sobre a Faixa de Gaza, como os esforços diplomáticos para negociar uma trégua se intensificou. (Mohammed Abed / AFP / Getty Images) #

Palestinos olhar para uma casa destruída após um ataque aéreo israelense na Cidade de Gaza, 19 de novembro de 2012. Hostilidades entre militantes islâmicos e Israel entrou em um sexto dia, como os esforços diplomáticos foram criados para intensificar para tentar impedir o lançamento de foguetes a partir da Faixa de Gaza e os ataques aéreos israelenses em Gaza. A pressão internacional por um cessar-fogo parecia certo para montar após o pior incidente na flare-up no domingo custou a vida de pelo menos 11 civis palestinos, incluindo quatro crianças. (Mohammed Salem / Reuters) #

Um menino palestino sobe as escadas de uma casa destruída por um ataque israelense na Cidade de Gaza, 19 de novembro de 2012. O número de mortos civil palestina montado como aviões israelenses atingiram áreas densamente povoadas na Faixa de Gaza, em sua campanha para conter o lançamento de foguetes de militantes. (Hatem Moussa / Associated Press) #

Os palestinos se reúnem em volta de uma casa destruída após um ataque aéreo israelense em Khan Younis, sul de Gaza, Faixa, 19 de novembro de 2012. Israel bombardeou dezenas de sites suspeitos de guerrilha no controlado pelo Hamas da Faixa de Gaza na segunda-feira e disparos de foguetes palestinos a partir do enclave deixado como os esforços internacionais para negociar uma trégua se intensificou. (Ibraheem Abu Mustafa / Reuters) #




Aviso:
Esta imagem contém gráfico
conteúdo ou censurável clique aqui para vê-lo.

Um homem palestino chora seguinte, o corpo de um parente morto no necrotério do Hospital Shifa, na Cidade de Gaza, 18 de novembro de 2012. O presidente Barack Obama defendeu ataques aéreos de Israel à Faixa de Gaza, mas ele alertou que a escalada da ofensiva com tropas terrestres israelenses poderia aprofundar o número de mortos e minar qualquer esperança de um processo de paz com os palestinos. (Bernat Armangue / Associated Press) #

Um homem palestino beija a mão de um parente morto no necrotério do Hospital Shifa, na Cidade de Gaza, 18 de novembro de 2012. (Bernat Armangue / Associated Press) #

Uma mulher palestina protege seu filho, deixando um prédio danificado após um ataque aéreo israelense na Cidade de Gaza, 19 de novembro de 2012. (Marco Longari / AFP / Getty Images) #

Uma mulher palestina é ajudado por um paramédico fora de seu prédio, danificado durante um ataque aéreo israelense contra um centro esportivo perto da Cidade de Gaza, 19 de novembro de 2012. (Marco Longari / AFP / Getty Images) #

Uma família palestina espera com seus pertences para deixar a área após um ataque aéreo israelense na Cidade de Gaza, 19 de novembro de 2012. (Marco Longari / AFP / Getty Images) #

Um soldado israelense fuma um cigarro ao lado de um comboio de tanques em uma área do Exército israelense implantação, perto da fronteira Israel-Gaza Faixa enquanto se preparam para uma operação terrestre potencial no enclave palestino costeira, 19 de novembro de 2012. (Menahem Kahana / AFP / Getty Images) #

Soldados israelenses preparar uma colocação de artilharia com vista para Gaza, 19 de novembro de 2012 na fronteira de Israel com a Faixa de Gaza. O número de mortos subiu para pelo menos 85 mortos nos ataques aéreos, de acordo com funcionários do hospital, no dia seis, desde o lançamento da operação "Pilar da Defesa." (Christopher Furlong / Getty Images) #

Um soldado israelense dorme em cima de um tanque em uma área do Exército israelense implantação, perto da fronteira Israel-Gaza Faixa enquanto se preparam para uma operação terrestre potencial no enclave palestino costeira, 19 de novembro de 2012. (Menahem Kahana / AFP / Getty Images) #

Um soldado israelense, de um esquadrão de tanques, atende a um briefing da manhã em uma área do Exército israelense perto da implantação de Israel-Gaza Faixa de Fronteira, 19 de novembro de 2012. O gabinete israelense deu luz verde para a contratação de até 75 mil reservistas em meio a sinais de que Israel estava se preparando para uma ofensiva terrestre na Faixa de Gaza. (Jack Guez / AFP / Getty Images) #

Soldados israelenses verificar munição em uma área de preparação, perto da fronteira com a Faixa de Gaza, 19 de novembro de 2012. Israel bombardeou dezenas de sites suspeitos de guerrilha no controlado pelo Hamas da Faixa de Gaza na segunda-feira e disparos de foguetes palestinos a partir do enclave deixado como os esforços internacionais para negociar uma trégua se intensificou. (Nir Elias / Reuters) #

Um soldado israelense detém rolos da Torá como ele conduz as orações da manhã em uma área do Exército israelense implantação, perto da fronteira Israel-Gaza Faixa de preparação para uma operação terrestre potencial no enclave palestino costeira, 19 de novembro de 2012. (Menahem Kahana / AFP / Getty Images) #


Ice dream: A charming view of Great Casterton Church in Rutland after temperatures plummeted overnight around the UK
Ice dream: A charming view of Great Casterton Church in Rutland after temperatures plummeted overnight around the UK
Snowballs: Golfers head out for an early morning round at a frozen Cray Valley Golf Club in Orpington, Kent
Snowballs: Golfers head out for an early morning round at a frozen Cray Valley Golf Club in Orpington, Kent
Blizzard Britain: A snow map shows how many centimetres will blanketevery area of the UK tomorrow, with freezing winds and sub-zero temperatures making families across the country shiver
Blizzard Britain: A snow map shows how many centimetres will blanket every area of the UK tomorrow, with freezing winds and sub-zero temperatures making families across the country shiver
Code red: The Met Office has issued its most serious warning for snow tomorrow, concentrated in Wales and the West Midlands
Code red: The Met Office has issued its most serious warning for snow tomorrow, concentrated in Wales and the West Midlands
London is expected to endure around 12 hours of continuous snow from around 10am Friday morning - but the Met Office has advised that it will be heaviest in the first few hours, before fading to some gentle flurries.
Met Office spokesman Charlie Powell said: 'The west of London is likely to see between three and six centimeters of snow, while the east will see between two to five centimeters of snow settling in.
'There will be about twelve hours of continuous snow, but by Saturday morning that will have weakened and there should be only the odd flurry of snow.'

Drama: The accident is one of many to happen on the roads this morning, with the Highways Agency warning motorists to take extra care
Lucky escape: A car slides off the A482 in icy conditions near Pumsaint, Carmarthenshire, narrowly avoiding crashing down a steep embankment
snow plow
At the ready: Snow ploughs and gritters are parked at Terminal 1 Manchester Airport in preparation for the expected snow storms forecast tomorrow
Keeping Britain moving: A gritter and snow plough tends to the A4067 between Brecon and Swansea
Keeping Britain moving: A gritter and snow plough tends to the A4067 between Brecon and Swansea
Missiles: Impatient motorists have been throwing rocks at gritting lorries in Northamptonshire because they are going too slow
Missiles: Impatient motorists have been throwing rocks at gritting lorries in Northamptonshire because they are going too slow
MeteoGroup weather forecasters released a map showing tomorrow's snowfall depths across the country, warning that it will feel even colder than it is because of driving winds tearing across the UK.
Laura Caldwell, a forecaster for MeteoGroup, said 4-6in (10-15cm) is predicted to fall quite widely with as much as 10in (25cm) set to cover the hills.
'Parts of the West Country, Wales, the West Midlands and central and southern England are going to get quite a bit of snow tomorrow,' she added.
'There will be quite a few centimetres in the morning with up to 10cm falling through the day.
'That snow will carry on, pushing north and east so it will cover all of England by the end of the day and even parts of southern Scotland.'
Hay there! Fierce gusts of wind whip the snow around these horses on the Brecon Beacons as they try to grab some food
Hay there! Fierce gusts of wind whip the snow around these horses on the Brecon Beacons as they try to grab some food
Powdery: The magnificent creatures stand firm despite the sub-zero temperatures and snowy showers in the Welsh beauty spot
Powdery: The magnificent creatures stand firm despite the sub-zero temperatures and snowy showers in the Welsh beauty spot
Baaad weather: Woolly sheep blend into the pretty scenery on the Brecon Beacons as they continue foraging for food
Baaad weather: Woolly sheep blend into the pretty scenery on the Brecon Beacons as they continue foraging for food
Rock 'n' roll: A walker admires the partially frozen waterfalls at Three Shires Head on Axe Edge Moor
Rock 'n' roll: A walker admires the partially frozen waterfalls at Three Shires Head on Axe Edge Moor
Wild: The ancient Peak District river crossings mark the point where Cheshire, Derbyshire and Staffordshire meet and are expected to be inaccessible tomorrow
Wild: The ancient Peak District river crossings mark the point where Cheshire, Derbyshire and Staffordshire meet and are expected to be inaccessible tomorrow
Wales and the Midlands are expected to see the worst of the snow, while London and East Anglia are likely see accumulations of around 4in (10cm).
Ms Caldwell added: 'It's going to inevitably cause disruption on the roads and railways. It's going to be a bit of a messy day for travel.'
It will struggle to get above zero in central and east England, hitting -6C tomorrow and Saturday night. Forecasts suggest daytime temperatures will struggle to get above freezing in many areas, with the wind chill making it feel even colder.
The showers are expected to ease off later in the day, remaining largely in eastern areas, but it is likely to stay very cold over the weekend, with widespread flurries of snow in parts.
The progress of the wintry weather can be tracked on MeteoGroup’s RainToday website, which displays live radar imagery for the UK.

Risk: An aeroplane approaches Gatwick Airport surrounded by a blanket of fog, which caused cancellations and severe delays at London City Airport yesterday
Risk: An aeroplane approaches Gatwick Airport surrounded by a blanket of fog, which caused cancellations and severe delays at London City Airport yesterday
Gloomy: A dark, wintry sky over a picture postcard scene on the Brecon Beacons near Cray
Gloomy: A dark, wintry sky over a picture postcard scene on the Brecon Beacons near Cray
Accidents: A roadsign is barely visible in near Cray, West Wales, with the AA working at full capacity in the bad weather
 
 
Breakdown services are bracing themselves for their busiest day ever with 30,000 callouts to stranded drivers predicted.
Brave: A jogger feels the freeze on the banks of the River Cam in Cambridge today after sub-zero temperatures caused a hoar frost
Brave: A jogger feels the freeze on the banks of the River Cam in Cambridge today after sub-zero temperatures caused a hoar frost

Warming up: Rowers wrapped up in winter woollies on the cold water in Cambridge today as Britain braces itself for a weekend of snow and blizzards and bitterly cold gusts
Warming up: Rowers wrapped up in winter woollies on the cold water in Cambridge today as Britain braces itself for a weekend of snow and blizzards and bitterly cold gusts

Silver branches: Leafless trees glitter in the sunlight beside the River Cam, creating a magical sight for the runners and cyclists venturing out this morning
Silver branches: Leafless trees glitter in the sunlight beside the River Cam, creating a magical sight for the runners and cyclists venturing out this morning
Queen Victoria Memorial is illuminated by the morning light while people walk in St. James' Park in London
The famous Backs in the historic city of Cambridge looked like a winter wonderland this morning as the glistening hoar frost clung to leaves, trees and hedges
Crisp: Shivering walkers pass the Queen Victoria Memorial in St James' Park, left, while rowers pass The Backs in picturesque Cambridge
Majestic: Buckingham Palace is illuminated by the morning light, as seen from St. James' Park in London on a bright but bitterly cold morning
Majestic: Buckingham Palace is illuminated by the morning light, as seen from St. James' Park in London on a bright but bitterly cold morning
Droplets: Puddles splashed over The Wash in Billericay, Essex, form icicles on the barriers at the side after -7C temperatures overnight
Droplets: Puddles splashed over The Wash in Billericay, Essex, form icicles on the barriers at the side after -7C temperatures overnight

Crystal clear: The small ford was impassable during the floods, but is now back to its normal level after the cold but drier weather
Crystal clear: The small ford was impassable during the floods, but is now back to its normal level after the cold but drier weather

Furry funny: Callum and James Tweedie from Elton-On-The-Hill, Nottinghamshire, enjoy sledging in the snow in their warmest clothes
Furry funny: Callum and James Tweedie from Elton-On-The-Hill, Nottinghamshire, enjoy sledging in the snow in their warmest clothes
Swansea University student Lucas Smith, 21, enjoys sledging with his friends on Brecon Beacons, South Wales
Friends enjoy sledging on Brecon Beacons, South Wales, where snow is settling and even more has been forecast
Never too old: Swansea University student Lucas Smith (left), 21, sledges with friends on Brecon Beacons, South Wales, in the settling snow
If 10cm of snow falls on the airport then it will weigh 60,000 tonnes and will need 4,000 lorry loads to clear.
Since winter 2010, the airport has spent £36million pounds on its winter resilience programme.
Councillor Peter Box, chairman of the Local Government Association's economy and transport board, said local councils were fully prepared for the cold weather over the coming days.
He said: 'There's hundreds of thousands of tonnes of salt in council depots. They've got new GPS-tracked gritters which use salt more effectively, the latest technology in snow ploughs and special quad-bikes and 4x4s to grit narrow and hilly roads.
'They will be receiving up-to-the minute reports from weather experts and their gritting teams are on standby around-the-clock.
A beautiful winter scene across Teesdale, County Durham this morning
Tilly, a two-year-old Jack Russell, jumps for a snowball in fields near Eye, Suffolk, today
Stunning: Icicles extend their fingers downwards in Teesdale today, while Tilly, a two-year-old Jack Russell, jumps for a snowball in fields near Eye, Suffolk
Black and white: A beautiful winter scene across Teesdale, County Durham this morning, where bare trees and drystone wall cut through the snowy landscape
Black and white: A beautiful winter scene across Teesdale, County Durham this morning, where bare trees and drystone wall cut through the snowy landscape
Cool and calm: A lone farmhouse stands in the middle of a quiet wintry scene in Durham, with no animals or crops to be seen
Cool and calm: A lone farmhouse stands in the middle of a quiet wintry scene in Durham, with no animals or crops to be seen
'Highways, street-cleaning and park staff will also be drafted in to help clear snow and ice around places like shops, schools and sheltered accommodation.
'Keeping the country moving is a community effort. Councils will be treating as many roads as they can and have also installed and filled thousands of extra grit bins for people living in side streets, villages and housing estates.'
South West Trains said it would be operating a revised timetable on a number of routes tomorrow. These include London to Bournemouth and Weymouth, London to Salisbury and Portsmouth and London to Reading.
East Coast train company advised passengers to check before travelling tomorrow. The company is lifting ticket restrictions for all journeys on its trains which arrive in, or depart from, King's Cross station in London after 10am tomorrow.
Neigh-sayer: This pony looks a little unhappy, despite being draped in a huge coat to ward off the chilly weather
Neigh-sayer: This pony looks a little unhappy, despite being draped in a huge coat to ward off the chilly weather
East Coast advised passengers wherever possible to travel before 6pm tomorrow, as heavier snowfalls were predicted after that time.
The Southeastern train company also advised passengers to make checks before setting out.
A Southeastern spokesman said: 'Given the weather forecast, there may be disruption on some routes through the day.'
British Gas said it was expecting a 'huge spike of activity' for its home service engineers this weekend, predicting they would attend around 20,000 call-outs.
Matthew Bateman, managing director of the firm's home services branch, said: 'With the recent mild weather, it's easy to understand why people may have thought winter was behind them, but over the weekend we've had calls from a huge number of customers experiencing problems with their heating or hot water.'
Winging it: Birds land on a frozen lake covered in chunks of ice in Herrington Country Park near Sunderland today
Winging it: Birds land on a frozen lake covered in chunks of ice in Herrington Country Park near Sunderland today
Follow my lead: A couple add to the criss-crossing trails of footprints as they walk their dog in Herrington Country Park
Follow my lead: A couple add to the criss-crossing trails of footprints as they walk their dog in Herrington Country Park
Festive feel: Sunderland was covered in snow and ice today - but tonight's band of snow starts in the south-west
Festive feel: Sunderland was covered in snow and ice today - but tonight's band of snow starts in the south-west
We love snow! A woman takes a pair of very excited dogs for a walk through deep drifts near Flash in Staffordshire today
We love snow! A woman takes a pair of very excited dogs for a walk through deep drifts near Flash in Staffordshire today
Graham Clark was found with serious head injuries in the narrow country lane beside his cottage in Buxhall near Stowmarket, Suffolk, on Tuesday.
Officers at first thought he might have been killed in a hit-and-run but are now looking at the 'possibility' he fell over while clearing snow.
His body was found at 3.40pm on Tuesday by a passer-by who dialled 999 for police and an ambulance. Mr Clark was treated by paramedics, but died at the scene.
The pensioner, who lived alone with his dogs, was described as a 'caring man' by villagers.
Neighbour David Green said: 'He had a heart of gold and was loved by his neighbours.
'I heard sirens and blue flashing lights. We went out and heard them again and again. There was a huge number of police.'
 

On track: A warmly dressed rambler with a stick and a big dog crosses a railway line in Peterborough
On track: A warmly dressed rambler with a stick and a big dog crosses a railway line in Peterborough
A view of Leith Tower with snow on the ground in Surrey
A hard overnight frost has created a beautiful scene as a lady walks her dog beside the River Nene in Peterborough, Cambridgeshire
Winter wonderland: Leith Tower rises out of the white ground in Surrey, left, while a woman walks her dog beside the River Nene in frosty Peterborough, Cambridgeshire
Artwork: Clouds scud across a frosty field near Leith Hill in Surrey this morning, as the cold snap creates marvellous vistas across the UK
Artwork: Clouds scud across a frosty field near Leith Hill in Surrey this morning, as the cold snap creates marvellous vistas across the UK


Splinters: The sun rises over Hucknall, Nottingham this morning, shining through frosted plants after temperatures dropped to -9 overnight
Splinters: The sun rises over Hucknall, Nottingham this morning, shining through frosted plants after temperatures dropped to -9 overnight

The calm before the storm: Two walkers take in a charming sunrise over Roundhay Park in Leeds, after temperatures dropped to -4C
The calm before the storm: Two walkers take in a charming sunrise over Roundhay Park in Leeds, after temperatures dropped to -4C
He said: 'Unfortunately, some of our drivers have had stones and bricks thrown at them.
'Our drivers are out two to three times day, trying to keep the county's roads safe.
'People have been getting impatient and started to throw things at the vehicles. We have also had people overtaking the vehicles, even though our gritters have been going at a decent speed - making it dangerous for everyone.
'We have 27 drivers on the county's roads, working around the clock and we just want people to respect that and be patient.
'When we have damage to a vehicle, like a broken window, it has to come off-road, meaning delays to the work we are trying to do.'
Motorists across Northamptonshire today gave mixed opinions on the gritters.
Administrator Sandy Benville, 25, from Daventry, Northants., said: 'They are trying to make the roads safer for everyone. People moan when the gritters haven't been out but when they are - people get so impatient. It's pathetic.'
Iron man: Only one walker and his dog braved the chilly early morning - and they were made of metal!
Iron man: Only one walker and his dog braved the chilly early morning - and they were made of metal!

Time for reflection: The pink sunrise bounces off shards of ice in Nottingham as forecasters warn that the worst is yet to come
Time for reflection: The soft pink sunrise bounces off shards of ice in Nottingham as forecasters warn that the worst is yet to come
Not very family friendly: Parents in Nottingham and across the country have been warned to check schools are open and to avoid setting out on weekend trips
Not very family friendly: Parents in Nottingham and across the country have been warned to check schools are open and to avoid setting out on weekend trips

Alive: The first signs of light create brilliant streaks of colour over -2C Abington Park, with a wisp of smoke and shining headlights indicating that households are waking up
Alive: The first signs of light create brilliant streaks of colour over -2C Abington Park, with a wisp of smoke and shining headlights indicating that households are waking up
Historical drama: Birds land on a frozen lake in front of Castle Howard, the stately home made famous in Brideshead Revisited
Historical drama: Birds land on a frozen lake in front of Castle Howard, the stately home made famous in Brideshead Revisited
But mechanic Karl Newman, 19, from Northampton, added: 'They are such a pain. They scratch the paintwork on my car and they drive so slow. They should go out in the middle of the night when nobody is around.'
Temperatures have dipped well below freezing in the low-lying Fens of East Anglia, but skaters are being warned not to take to the ice.
Despite the sub-zero weather, ice on the lakes and ponds still isn't thick enough to skate on, Fenland Ice Skating said.
The group said 'If the frosty weather continues for a few days, there may be a chance to skate.
'Danger on Welney Wash and other Fenland venues will be high due to deeper water than usual making it visually difficult to establish where shallow fields end, and rivers and ditches start.'
Duck tails: This cute pair hold each other up with their beaks as they slide across an icy pond in East London this morning
Duck tails: This cute pair hold each other up with their beaks as they slide across an icy pond in East London this morning
Belly flop: Another duck struggles on the half-frozen pond under the winter sun
Belly flop: Another duck struggles on the half-frozen pond under the winter sun
Bug's life: The frozen spider was spotted battling its way back to its web by photographer Mark Johnson as he walked his dog yesterday afternoon
Icy insect: A Harvester spider gets cold feet in Watts Wood, Lincs, as his legs frost over in the severe wintery conditions
Icy insect: A Harvester spider gets cold feet in Watts Wood, Lincs, as his legs frost over in the severe wintery conditions
Met Office spokesman Dan Williams said: 'It will be pretty chilly on Thursday night with the coldest places seeing temperatures of -3C.
'The UK will struggle to get above 0C in the East. Elsewhere is a bit milder at 2C.'
He said snow is expected to cause major disruption for commuters and people hoping to get away for the weekend.
Met Office forecaster Robin Thwaytes said 'Nationwide snow is a very rare event and this is a very serious situation.
'Red warnings are very rare and mobilise the Government to call in extra help from the Army if needed.
'The Cabinet Office is making the Prime Minister and Deputy Prime Minister aware of the situation, liaising with the Welsh Assembly and deciding what action needs to be taken.
'The heaviest snow will fall for three to six hours, affecting the West on Friday morning and the East - including London - and North in the afternoon. Snow showers will follow.
'The public should be aware of the risk of significant travel disruption and we advise people to seriously consider whether they need to travel.
'By 9am on Saturday, all of Wales, eastern Scotland and everywhere in England bar Cornwall will have seen snow.'
The Met Office said there will be 'widespread snow' next week, with colder-than-usual conditions 'favoured' until February 15, with snow likely to be 'more frequent.'
VIDEO: Extreme weather worsens across the country as the week goes on

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