Thursday, December 27, 2012

As this winter enters it's coldest point, the lake of Sankei Park freezes/Yokohama

Translated from the original article at: http://news.kanaloco.jp/localnews/article/1212250018/

December 25, 2012
Some waterfowl swimming on the portion of the lake that's begun to thaw=Sankei Park, Naka ward, Yokohama City (Photo taken at 9:20 AM)

Evan a lake has frozen from the cold.

On the 25th, Yokohama reached it's coldest point of the year at a record low 0.4 degrees Celsius (32.72 Fahrenheit), according to the Yokohama Meteorological Observatory. At 8AM, morning commuters could be seen tensing their shoulders as they were met with a severely cold temperature of 0.9 Celsius (33.62 Fahrenheit).

"Until the 27th, the severe cold will continue with a temperature lower than the yearly average," said the observatory.

In Sankei Park of Yokohama City's Naka ward, the cold weather has caused the majority of the lake's surface to freeze. "It's rare for the entire surface of the lake to freeze in December," said the park.  In the morning, the ice was sparkling, with waterfowl seen swimming on the portion of the surface that began to melt.


Original text:
三溪園で池凍る、この冬一番の冷え込み/横浜
2012年12月25日

解け始めたわずかな水面で水鳥が泳ぐ姿=横浜市中区の三渓園(午前9時20分撮影)

寒さで池も凍る-。

25日、横浜の最低気温は0.4度(横浜地方気象台調べ)まで下がり、この冬一番の冷え込みとなった。午前8時でも0.9度と厳しい寒さの朝となり、通勤する人たちも肩をすぼめて歩く姿が目立った。

「27日までは平年よりも気温が低く、厳しい寒さが続きます」と同気象台。

この寒さで横浜市中区の三渓園では、大池のほぼ全面が凍った。「12月に池の全面が凍るのは珍しい」と同園。朝日で氷がきらきらと輝き、解け始めたわずかな水面で水鳥が泳ぐ姿が見られた。