cold

He played 12 seasons in the NFC North before he was traded to the Rams, so quarterback Matthew Stafford is no stranger to cold-weather games.

On Sunday night, when the Rams play the Chicago Bears in an NFC divisional-round at Soldier Field, game-time temperatures could include a wind-chill below zero degrees.

Stafford, citing historic NFL games that were played in tough weather, said on Wednesday that he would embrace the elements.

“There’s something to it, right, that feels right when football’s outdoors, you’re playing late in the year, it’s cold, it means a lot,” Stafford said, adding, “I know it’s going to be a great crowd there, and it’ll be a lot of fun.”

Stafford, 37, suffered a sprained right index finger Saturday against the Carolina Panthers but still passed for 304 yards and three touchdowns, with an interception, in the 34-31 wild-card victory.

On Wednesday, he said that he suffered no residual effects in the immediate aftermath, that the finger was feeling “great” and that it would not affect his ability to grip or throw the ball on Saturday.

“Whatever it was there is gone now,” he said.

Still, all eyes will be on Stafford, and how the finger might affect his performance, when the Rams play the Bears in only the third playoff matchup between the teams.

“Fortunately,” coach Sean McVay said, “Matthew’s played in these conditions.”

Stafford said he would wear a snug, warming layer under his uniform that he first used with the Lions. Cold weather does not bother him, he said, and each game requires unique adjustments.

“You can’t just bunch ‘em all together,” he said, adding, “You just kind of figure it out as you go.”

Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford passes against the Philadelphia Eagles in last season’s NFC divisional playoffs.

(Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)

Stafford has a 12-10 career record against the Bears. His 22 games against them is tied for the second most against any team, one behind the Minnesota Vikings.

He has a 5-7 record against the Bears at Soldier Field.

It did not go well for the Rams and Stafford the last time they played there. On Sept. 29, 2024, Stafford completed 20 of 29 passes for 224 yards, with an interception, in a 24-18 loss. The Rams had the ball with 1:03 left, but the Bears intercepted a pass to seal the Rams’ defeat.

Stafford played in two cold-weather games last season.

In late December against the New York Jets, the wind-chill factor was 14 degrees. Stafford completed 14 of 19 passes for 110 yards and a touchdown, with an interception, in a 19-9 victory.

In last season’s NFC divisional-round game at Philadelphia, with a wind-chill factor of 27 degrees, Stafford completed 26 of 44 passes for 324 yards and two touchdowns in a 28-22 defeat that ended with the Rams at the Eagles’ 22-yard line and an incomplete pass intended for Puka Nacua.

Now he faces a Bears defense that ranks poorly in most statistical categories, but leads the NFL with 23 interceptions. The unit also recovered 10 fumbles.

“That’s how they’ve thrived,” Stafford said.

During the regular season, the Bears gave up 24.4 points and 361.8 yards per game, which ranked 23rd and 28th, respectively, among 32 NFL teams. They were 27th in rushing defense (134.5 yards per game) and 22nd in pass defense (227.2)

Veteran safety Kevin Byard III had a league-best seven interceptions, cornerback Nahshon Wright five and linebacker Tremaine Edmunds four for a team that defeated the Green Bay Packers 27-24 in the wild-card round.

“They’ve got a… talented back end that catches the ball when it’s in their area,” Stafford said. “They do a nice job up front as well affecting the pocket.”

The Rams are preparing for Sunday in sunny and warm conditions in Woodland Hills. McVay joked that the Rams were going to get “the biggest cold plunge ever, and everybody’s going to see if we can sit in that thing for three hours.”

Hot or cold, the preparation will be the same, according to Stafford.

“We don’t care what the weather is here, what it is there,” he said. “Just go play.”

At least six people were killed after heavy rain flooded tents and collapsed homes sheltering displaced families in Gaza. Footage shows the storm’s aftermath, including crumpled tents lying in muddy water and a collapsed wall.

Civil Defence warns of catastrophic repercussions from the storm for Palestinians, who lack adequate shelter, as Israel continues to block aid, critical supplies in violation of truce.

Eight Palestinians have died in war-ravaged Gaza as a new storm has brought cold temperatures, piled on further misery to tens of thousands of displaced people surviving in flimsy shelters and caused strong winds that have toppled buildings damaged by Israeli attacks in its genocidal war on the enclave.

Israel continues to block desperately needed humanitarian aid and critical supplies for shelters from entering the besieged Gaza Strip in violation of a ceasefire that began on October 10.

A spokesperson for Gaza’s Civil Defence told Al Jazeera on Tuesday that four deaths have been recorded due to cold temperatures caused by a severe weather depression that has brought torrential rain and freezing winds to the coastal enclave.

A source at Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in central Gaza’s Deir el-Balah said one of the victims was a one-year-old who died in a tent before being brought to the facility.

Four other Palestinians were killed when war-damaged buildings toppled during the storm, the Civil Defence and officials at al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City’s Remal neighbourhood said.

Three people, including a 15-year-old girl, were killed when one building collapsed in Gaza City while a fourth was killed in a separate building collapse in the city.

Civil Defence spokesperson Mahmoud Basal warned of catastrophic repercussions from the storm for Gaza’s population, the majority of whom have been left without adequate shelter as a result of Israel’s war and its ongoing restrictions on goods entering the territory.

In a statement, Hamas said it was regrettable that the international community was failing to provide relief to Gaza, saying the rising death toll and spread of illness showed the territory was “experiencing the most horrific form of genocide”.

Surge of hospital patients

A Civil Defence spokesperson said hospitals across the territory were observing an influx of patients, particularly children, with cold-related illnesses and the organisation had received hundreds of calls for support due to extreme cold.

He said shelters had been damaged by the storm and were no longer fit for use while other tents were being blown away completely by strong winds in western Gaza City.

Amjad Shawa, director of the Palestinian NGO Network in Gaza, told Al Jazeera that the situation was the worst it had been since the winter storms began.

He said about 10,000 families on Gaza’s coast were exposed to danger and further displacement as a result of the storm.

Shawa said Israel’s restrictions on goods entering the Strip were preventing access to much-needed shelter and medical supplies and hampering the work of aid organisations, endangering Gaza’s hard-hit population.

Gaza City Mayor Yahya al-Sarraj told Al Jazeera that Palestinians in the Strip were trapped in “tragic” circumstances, sheltering in inadequate tents and shelters, many of which were at risk of collapse, with insufficient supplies of medicine to treat those who are ill or wounded.

He called on the international community to pressure Israel to allow aid into the territory so Palestinians would be able to rebuild their homes.

The low-pressure system is expected to bring cold temperatures to Gaza until at least Tuesday evening, forecasters said.

‘Man-made humanitarian catastrophe’

At a briefing on Tuesday, a spokesperson for the Qatari Ministry of Foreign Affairs condemned the “man-made humanitarian catastrophe” in Gaza and said Israel should allow aid into the enclave.

The spokesperson said Qatar was working with mediators to advance to the second phase of the Gaza ceasefire.

As the death toll from the storm rose in Gaza, UNICEF said dozens of children have been killed since the start of the ceasefire three months ago.

“More than 100 children have been killed in Gaza since the ceasefire of early October. That’s roughly a girl or a boy killed here every day during a ceasefire,” James Elder, spokesman for the UN children’s agency, told reporters.

He said the children had been killed in air strikes, drone strikes, tank shelling and by live ammunition.

EXTREME cold has grounded numerous flights and left thousands of tourists stranded in Lapland.

Temperatures have reached a staggering -35C at Finland’s Kittila airport causing flights to London, Bristol, Manchester, Paris and Amsterdam to be cancelled.

During winter months, travellers head to northern Finland to enjoy the snowy wonderland and marvel at the aurora.

But following severe sub zero temperatures, tourists have been forced to stay put in the Artic region.

These freezing conditions make it difficult to de-ice planes – an important process to ensure the aircraft is safe to fly.

It can also cause refuelling and maintenance equipment to freeze on the ground prior to taking off.

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Lapland’s weather is expected to get even colder tomorrow with Finland’s meteorological agency predicting temperatures of -39C.

This is a particularly harsh winter for the area which usually experiences an average winter temperature of -14C with only occasional dips to -30C.

For tourists staying in nearby ski resorts, Kittila airport is the nearest commercial air station.

And for those wanting to visit Santa Claus’ home, an inbound flight to Rovaniemi will get you the closest according to local folklore.

Flights were cancelled in and out of Kittila on Friday and Saturday, with one flight out of Rovaniemi cancelled on Sunday.

Finland’s airport operator, Finavia, told Finnish broadcasting company Yle that moisture in the air was exacerbating the situation by creating slippery frost.

This has also made roads dangerous with Fintraffic, the country’s traffic control service, warning of icy conditions in the region.

A bus full of Ukrainian passengers crashed into a ditch this morning, but thankfully no serious injuries have been reported.

The uncharacteristically cold weather is a result of a storm that’s passing over norther Europe, which has caused temperatures to drop and travel disruptions in France, Germany, and the UK.

Brits are dealing with the dire effects of storm Goretti, with fallen trees crushing houses and cars, and road vehicles facing treacherous conditions.

Police said a man in his 50s was found dead in a caravan after a tree fell on to the vehicle in Helston, Cornwall.

Emergency services were called to the scene on Thursday evening and work took place on Friday to remove the tree.

The Met Office have issued an amber warning for more snow, adding there is a risk of heavy rain, strong winds and flooding.

It comes after the storm brought gusts of almost 100mph and a rare red warning for “dangerous, stormy” winds in the South West was issued by forecasters earlier this week.

Wet and windy weather has begun to replace the wintry conditions which hit most of the UK this week, spelling an end to early January’s cold snap.

An amber warning for snow and ice in north-western Scotland has been downgraded, joining a series of yellow warnings for rain and wind across much of the country – all of which are due to expire by Monday morning.

Sunday is forecast to bring rain and blustery conditions to most of the UK as mild air moves in from the west after a cold week.

Meanwhile, the National Grid said it was continuing work to resolve power outages affecting thousands of properties still without power in parts of England and Wales.

National Rail has warned that disruption to travel is possible until Monday, while the Met Office advised those covered by yellow warnings to prepare for delays and possibly dangerous road conditions.

Forecaster Craig Snell said next week would still see wind, rain and “unsettled” conditions, but the UK would be “saying goodbye to the really cold weather”.

Temperatures between 9-11C are expected in the south and about 6-8C elsewhere.

Milder temperatures could spell a risk of flooding in places as snow from Storm Goretti melts, with the public urged to check local flood warnings.

The storm brought days of heavy snow, ice and strong winds to most parts of the UK.

When it arrived on Thursday, the Met Office issued a rare red warning for wind in Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly.

Wind speeds of up to 99mph (159km/h) were later recorded in the region.

Police have since said a man was killed in the Mawgan area of Helston after a tree fell onto his caravan.

Cornwall Council said the storm had been “one of the most severe” the county had experienced “in living memory”, with crews working around the clock to clear fallen trees and carry out emergency repairs.

Meanwhile, areas across the country have struggled with power outages.

On Saturday, the National Grid said more than 20,000 properties remained without electricity – with the south-west of England continuing to face the most outages.

The National Grid said it was working “tirelessly” and had restored power to almost 170,000 properties.

Hundreds of schools across the UK were also forced to close ahead of the weekend as heavy snow caused travel disruption.

Tens of thousands of displaced Palestinians in Gaza, surrounded by tents and debris, are suffering through more winter rains after two years of Israeli bombardment destroyed much of the Strip.

A polar low-pressure system accompanied by heavy rain and strong winds swept across the Gaza Strip on Saturday. It is the third polar low to affect the Palestinian territory this winter, with a fourth low-pressure system forecast to hit the area starting on Monday, meteorologist Laith al-Allami told the Anadolu news agency.

Many families have been living in tents since late 2023, for most of the duration of Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza.

The enclave is imminently facing freezing temperatures, rain and strong winds, as the authorities warn the downpour could intensify into a full-blown storm.

Mohammed Maslah, a displaced Palestinian now in Gaza City, told Al Jazeera in his rugged tent that he did not have a choice but to stay there.

“I could not find anywhere to live in Gaza, except Gaza Port,” he told Al Jazeera. “I’m forced to stay here because my home is under Israeli control. After just a few hours of rain, we were soaked.”

In Deir al-Balah, Shaima Wadi, a mother of four children who was displaced from Jabaliya in the north, spoke to the Associated Press. “We have been living in this tent for two years. Every time it rains and the tent collapses over our heads, we try to put up new pieces of wood,” she said. “With how expensive everything has become, and without any income, we can barely afford clothes for our children or mattresses for them to sleep on.”

The heavy rains earlier this month flooded tents and makeshift shelters across Gaza, where most of the buildings have been destroyed or damaged by Israeli attacks.

So far in December, at least 15 people, including three babies, died from hypothermia following rains and plunging temperatures, with several buildings collapsing, according to the authorities in Gaza. Aid organisations have called for Israel to allow more shelters and other humanitarian aid into the territory.

Ibrahim Abu al-Reesh, head of field operations for the Civil Defence in the Gaza Port area, said that his teams responded to various distress calls as weather conditions got harsher in places where displaced people set up fragile tents.

“We worked hard to cover some of these damaged tents with plastic sheets after they were flooded by rainwater,” he told Al Jazeera.

Al Jazeera’s Ibrahim Al Khalili, reporting from Gaza City, said that winter has been adding to the suffering of tens of thousands of displaced Palestinians who do not have safe shelters.

“The same misery repeats as each rain fills neighbourhoods with muddy water,” he said.

Ceasefire talks

As Palestinians face dire conditions in Gaza, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is expected to visit Washington, DC, in the coming days while negotiators and others discuss the second stage of the ceasefire that took effect on October 10.

The progress in the peace process has been slow. Challenges in phase two of the ceasefire include the deployment of an international stabilisation force, a technocratic governing body for Gaza, the proposed disarmament of Hamas and further Israeli troop withdrawals from the territory.

So far, the agreement has partially held despite Israel’s repeated violations.

Since the ceasefire went into effect, more than 414 Palestinians have been killed and 1,142 wounded, according to Gaza’s Ministry of Health.

It also said the bodies of 679 people were pulled from the rubble during the same period, as the truce makes it safer to search for the remains of people killed earlier.

The ministry on Saturday said that 29 bodies, including 25 recovered from under the rubble, had been brought to local hospitals over the past 48 hours.

The overall Palestinian death toll from Israel’s war has risen to at least 71,266, the ministry said, and another 171,219 have been wounded.