Winter van 1708-1709

Die buitengewoon koue winter van 1708-1709 (die Groot Winter) was in Europa waarskynlik die koudste van die voorafgaande 500 jaar en die tweede millennium.

Oorsaak Die aanleiding tot die besondere unieke weersituasie was die wisselende lugdruksverskille oor die noordelike Atlantiese Oseaan. ‘n Bydraende faktor was dalk die geringe aktiwiteit van die son sodat daar min sonuitbarstings was.

Gevolge Die grootste deel van Europa het vir drie maande onder die besondere winter gely: van Noorweë, Swede en Finland tot Italië en van Rusland tot Portugal. Dus selfs die lande om die Middellandse See bekend om hul gematigde klimaat was in die barre toestande vasgevang. In Januarie is ‘n temperatuur van minus 13,2°C in Berlyn aangeteken. Alle groot mere en riviere was toegeys. Die Gardameer en die Bodenmeer was heeltemal bevrore. Met die Gardameer was dit vir die eerste keer. Op 13 April (met die aanbreek van die Europese lente) was die ys in die hawe van Kopenhagen nog dikker as 30 cm en op 1 Mei was die hawe van Gdansk nog gesluit weens die dik ys. Van die soldate wat waggestaan het, het gesterf. Reisigers op pad het omgekom. Vee het in hul stalle gevrek. Vrugtebome, dennebome en akkerbome het die koue nie oorleef nie. Die graanoes het heeltemal misluk en die wyn het in die kelders bevries. ‘n Gevolg hiervan was ‘n ernstige hongersnood waaraan meer as ‘n half miljoen mense in Europa sterf. In Parys alleen het byna 24 000 mense omgekom.

5 Januarie 1709 Tydens hierdie winter was die Sweedse leër in die huidige Oekraïne in ‘n oorlog met Rusland gewikkel. Duisende soldate sterf in die winterveldtog. In hierdie koudste nag het glo 2 000 Sweedse soldate die lewe gelaat. Die Russiese soldate was meer gewoond aan die uiterste temperature. Koning Karel XII van Swede vlug hierna na Turkye.

Lied Hierdie winter het aanleiding gegee tot die lied “The Coldest Winter in Memory” deur Al Stewart:

The coldest winter in memory was 1709 The sea froze off the coast of France all along the Neptune lineBy the lost town of Dunwich the shore was washed awayThey say you hear the church bells still as they toll beneath the wavesCome all you earthly princes, wheresoever you may beFrom the Sun King in the court of France to the Czar in MuscovyTake heed of Charles of Sweden, the Lion of the North,On the cracked earth of summer with his army he goes forthGuardian angels wherever you may be,reach down and keep my soul for meI was there amongst that number, I heard the trumpets strainI saw the host of banners spread across the Polish plainThose who stood against us, they soon were swept awayThey may have the numbers but it's Charles shall have the dayWe cut our way through forests, crossed on frozen streamsThey fell away before us like a murmur in a dreamAnd they burned the land around us as snow was closing inAnd the arms of winter took us as we fired against the windGuardian angels wherever you may be,reach down and keep my soul for meThrough all the courts of Europe there's a rumor from the EastThe kings have come to battle and it's Charles who's known defeatThey'll shake their heads and wonder at how this came to beBut it's nights without a shelter that have made an end for meNow Charles is fled to Turkey, left his men afarAnd they'll be marched through Moscow now as prisoners of the CzarAnd had I but known last summer what I know understandI'd have never set my foot inside this bleak and bitter landGuardian angels wherever you may be,reach down and keep my soul for meThe coldest winter in memory was 1709The sea froze off the coast of France all along the Neptune lineBy the lost town of Dunwich the shore was washed awayThey say you hear the church bells still as they toll beneath the waves''

Ander unieke winters Die winter van 1783-1784 was ook een van die ergste winters in die noordelike halfrond. Dit was nie slegs beperk tot die sentrale dele van Europa nie, maar het ook Noord-Amerika en Asië getref. Vulkaniese uitbarstings was die oorsaak hiervan. Twee winters tydens die Tweede Wêreldoorlog was in Europa baie erg, naamlik die winters van 1939-1940 en die van 1941-1942. Ook die winter van 1946-1947 was ‘n besonder koue winter. Die winter van 1962-1963 word beskou as die kwaaiste winter van die 20ste eeu in die hele Europa.

Winter van 1708-1709

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