Berlin is covered with several centimeters of snow
February 13th: Berlin's Frosty Beauty and Ongoing Disputes
Berlin awoke to a winter wonderland today, sporting a thick layer of fresh snow. Overnight, several centimetres accumulated, with chilly temperatures predicted to persist through the weekend and into early next week, making the roads treacherous for cyclists and drivers alike. Fortunately, despite the icy roads, no significant increase in accidents has been reported yet.
With the temperature hovering around 0°C and a nippy easterly wind, it could feel as cold as -10°C to -15°C. However, the wind should let up in the days to come, while the temperatures will possibly dip as low as -10°C on Sunday night. On a positive note, the snowfall might help clean up Berlin's polluted air, which has been causing concern recently.
A bit of discord bubbling beneath the city's surface is the ongoing strike of workers from Berlin's city cleaning service. The strike takes place on Thursday and Friday, but the Verdi union has agreed to prioritize emergency winter services for essential requirements. Unfortunately, specific information about the scope of these emergency services, including winter-related tasks, is scarce.
It's important to note that this strike primarily affects services related to Charité hospital, such as cleaning, patient transportation, safety, and security. City-wide cleaning services do not seem to be directly impacted by this dispute. On the hospital front, additional information suggests that an "emergency service agreement" was enforced, leading to minimum staff levels, and in some cases even higher than normal levels. This hints that crucial services might continue to run, although specific details about winter services during the strike remain undisclosed.
Weather-forecasting reports predict that temperatures will dip as low as -10°C on Sunday night, with the wind easing up in the coming days. The ongoing disputes include a strike by workers from Berlin's city cleaning service, which has agreed to prioritize emergency winter services, although details about winter-related tasks remain scant.
