Unusually cold weather with snow in Mediterranean / 極地寒流發威 歐洲渡假海灘覆白雪　　　　　　　　　　

Meanwhile, a series of powerful blizzards have swept across European countries, including warmer Mediterranean nations like Italy and Greece. Over 20 have died from the cold. Meanwhile, a heavy snowfall warning in Japan's Kanto region was finally lifted in the early morning of January 9th. The affected Chuo Expressway was finally reopened entirely at 9:30 AM. Affected by a rapidly-developing low-pressure system, Kanto's Koshinetsu regions in Japan saw heavy snow starting on the 8th. In the 24-hour period ending at 6 am on the 9th, Lake Kawaguchi near Mt. Fuji saw 43 cm of snow, and the city of Matsumoto saw 22cm. ==RESIDENT Fujiyoshida City == I've been shoveling snow for four hours since midnight. If I can't get my car out in the morning, I won't be able to go to work. The heavy snow warning was finally lifted at 5 am on the 9th. However, snow continued in mountainous regions, and some roads were frozen. Parts of the Chuo Expressway were closed until 9 am. Japan's meteorological agency says that the Tokyo metropolis and the Izu islands must be prepared for high winds and waves on the 9th. Meanwhile in Europe, an Arctic system ravaged the continent from Russia to southwestern Europe over the past two days. Over 20 have died and traffic is paralyzed. Bosnia saw temperatures of -21°C, and Romanian soup kitchens saw long lines. In northern Greece, temperatures plunged to -15°C. The island of Lesbos, home to many refugee shelters, is poorly equipped to handle the cold. Some of the tents have collapsed under the snow. In Italy, schools have closed and snow has enveloped the country's central regions. In the Vatican, the fountain in St. Peter's Square has frozen over. A Vatican-run hostel in Rome is now open 24 hours a day and provides gloves and sleeping bags for the homeless. ==POPE FRANCIS== In this cold weather, I would like to invite you all to think of the people on the streets and the people suffering through the chill of winter. A tour bus full of Portuguese tourists was involved in a deadly accident in the central French province of Saone-et-Loire, killing 4 and injuring at least 20. In Germany, people are swarming into resorts for the good skiing conditions brought by the snow. TRANSLATED BY：JOHN CHEN 受到低氣壓快速發展的影響，日本關東甲信越地區，八號起出現大範圍降雪，到當地時間九號清晨六點的24小時之內，山梨縣的富士河口湖降雪43公分，長野線松本市降雪22公分，居民剷雪剷到手軟。 ==山梨縣富士吉田居民 == 從午夜開始已經剷雪四小時 早上車子會開不出來 就沒辦法去上班 所幸這波大雪警報，在九號上午五點已經全面解除，只是山區道路仍然持續降雪，部分路段路面結冰，中央高速公路部分路段封閉，直到上午九點半之後才解除。氣象廳表示，東京都會區，伊豆諸島南部九號還須嚴防強風與高浪。 鏡頭轉到歐洲，極地寒流在剛剛過去兩天發威，從俄羅斯，東歐到一路到西南歐無一倖免，造成二十多人凍死，陸空交通癱瘓。波士尼亞低溫降到零下21度，羅馬尼亞街友大排長龍領熱湯暖身。就連相對溫暖的南歐，都是天寒地凍，希臘北部低溫降到攝氏零下15度，東岸渡假勝地阿特米達，沙灘與陽傘覆蓋了白雪。收容眾多難民的里斯伯斯島，保暖設備不足，聯合國提供的單薄帳篷被雪壓垮，難民處境艱辛。 義大利也陷入冰封，造成學校停課，中部強震災區成了銀白色世界。梵諦岡聖伯多祿廣場的大噴泉，結成了冰柱。這段期間梵諦岡在羅馬營運的青年旅館，24小時開放，也發放手套睡袋等物資給街友。 ==天主教教宗 方濟各== 在這寒冷的天氣 我邀請各位一起關心街頭的人們 還有飽受寒冬 冷漠之苦的人 法國中部索恩-盧瓦爾省，有一輛載著葡萄牙觀光客的大巴士，在前往瑞士途中，疑似因為大雪打滑衝出路面，造成至少四死二十多人受傷，至於德國民眾則是趁著雪量豐沛，湧入各度假勝地，享受冬季滑雪之樂。 記者 施慧中 報導