US weather latest: 'Bomb cyclone' causing sharks to die from 'cold shock' - as airports in New York and New Jersey are forced to close

'Frozen' iguanas also falling from trees in Florida, as freak cold snap hits sunshine US state ++++ Brits' travel plans in jeopardy as airports in New York and New Jersey are forced to close ++++ Holidaymakers travelling to US advised to check status of flights
Robin de Peyer5 January 2018

Sharks are washing up dead on beaches in the US from apparent 'cold shock' caused by the ‘bomb cyclone’ freeze.

The icy weather pattern has also left Brits' travel plans in tatters due to a series of flight cancellations - with all flights into JFK suspended for hours due to the adverse conditions.

Conservationists have warned the animals are being trapped as they become stranded in shallow waters while seeking warmer areas off the east coast of America.

Distressing images posted by the Atlantic White Shark conservation group show sharks washed up on beaches covered in ice and snow as the extreme cold snap continues.

Encased in ice: a shark on a beach in Cape Cod
Atlantic White Shark Conservancy/ Facebook

Alongside images of several sharks on a beach in Cape Cod, the group wrote on Facebook: "Both of these male sharks were nearly the same size and likely stranded due to cold shock."

Other experts have also linked the deaths of thresher sharks washing up on beaches or in shallow waters to the cold conditions.

Greg Skomal, a scientist from the Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries, told the New York Times: "If you’ve got cold air, that’ll freeze their gills up very quickly.

"Those gill filaments are very sensitive and it wouldn’t take long for the shark to die."

Speaking to the website Boston.com, he added: "The rapid cooling associated with this cold snap and water temps is forcing the sharks to move south at a faster pace, and the landmass of Cape Cod is contributing to them getting stranded in shallow water."

Freezing conditions have gripped large swathes of the US
EPA

It comes as a massive winter storm known as a “bomb cyclone” killed at least 17 people and wreaked havoc across the East Coast of the US, as well as in usually mild southern states.

In Florida, shocked residents also reported iguanas falling from trees in a 'frozen' state, also apparently due to the freak cold.

Green iguanas, like all reptiles, are coldblooded animals, so they become immobile when the temperature falls to a certain level, said Kristen Sommers of the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. Under 50 degrees Fahrenheit, they become sluggish.

Under 40 degrees, their blood stops moving as much, Sommers told the Washington Post.

They like to sit in trees, and “it’s become cold enough that they fall out.”

The freezing conditions are expected to continue into the weekend, and have caused chaos in recent days as they grounded thousands of flights.

Flights from New York's John F Kennedy airport were due to resume at 12pm today after being suspended for up to 16 hours.

Meteorologists have said parts of the US could experience their lowest temperatures on record over the course of Friday and Saturday.

Icy cold: the Chicago River
AP

Weather warnings are in place across a huge swathe of the US, from Maine to Georgia.

"Heavy snowfall rates will spread northward across NH and through southern/central ME through early this evening," said the National Weather Service.

Snow in New York as 'bomb cyclone' hits US

1/13

"In addition to heavy snowfall rates, the intensifying storm will result in strengthening winds, producing blizzard conditions for coastal regions of New England."

Snowed under: Times Square in New York
Rex Features

Forecasters have also warned that hurricane force winds of up to 60mph are to batter much of the north-eastern coastline.

The storm has resulted in thousands of cancelled flights at major airports such as Boston's Logan International Airport and New York's LaGuardia Airport and disrupted the schedules at regional airports.

Amtrak planned to operate a modified schedule between New York and Boston on Thursday. Northeast Regional Service between Washington, DC, and Newport News/Norfolk, Virginia, was cancelled for Thursday.

Create a FREE account to continue reading

eros

Registration is a free and easy way to support our journalism.

Join our community where you can: comment on stories; sign up to newsletters; enter competitions and access content on our app.

Your email address

Must be at least 6 characters, include an upper and lower case character and a number

You must be at least 18 years old to create an account

* Required fields

Already have an account? SIGN IN

By clicking Create Account you confirm that your data has been entered correctly and you have read and agree to our Terms of use , Cookie policy and Privacy policy .

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged in