Heavy snowfalls paralyzed Europe: traffic jams, flight and train cancellations, school closures
In recent days, Europe has been battling severe winter weather conditions.
Near Rotterdam airport. Photo: Mouneb Taim/NurPhoto via Getty Images
Extremely low temperatures and heavy snowfalls have led to the cancellation of flights and trains, traffic jams on roads, and the closure of schools in many countries, Bild writes.
The Netherlands was particularly hard hit: due to the weather and technical malfunctions, rail connections were almost completely paralyzed. At Amsterdam's Schiphol Airport — an important international transport hub — almost 700 flights had to be canceled yesterday, accounting for more than half of the approximately 1,200 scheduled takeoffs and landings.
At Paris's Charles de Gaulle and Orly airports, airlines were forced to cancel 15% of their flights. In the UK, flights were also canceled at several airports.
France was gripped by traffic jams totaling about 1,000 kilometers — in Normandy, Brittany, and around Paris. In Normandy, at least five people died as a result of road accidents linked to adverse weather conditions.
Snow and frost slowed down high-speed trains as well: the French TGV was forced to reduce its speed from 300 to 200 km/h. In Paris, bus services were suspended, as was traffic on some tram lines.
Hundreds of schools were closed in the UK: in Northern Ireland alone, according to authorities, 212 institutions ceased operation. England, Scotland, and Wales were also affected by mass school closures.
In addition, Eurostar, whose trains connect the UK with mainland Europe, advised passengers on routes between London and the Netherlands to postpone their trips. Due to poor weather conditions in the Netherlands, trains could only run as far as Brussels.
Even in the Balearic Islands in Spain, heavy snowfall was observed: in Mallorca and most other regions, authorities declared a yellow alert, the third-highest level of danger.
Polish railways also reported multi-hour delays and train cancellations due to heavy snowfalls. Flight cancellations were also reported at airports in Bosnia and Herzegovina, as well as Sweden.
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