Snow and ice ground flights, choke highways in parts of Europe
THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP) — More than 1,000 stranded passengers spent the night at Amsterdam’s international airport as snow and ice that is pummeling parts of Europe grounded hundreds of flights and choked highways and railroads Wednesday.
In Paris, a skier slid along the snowy bank of the Seine river and roads and parks around the Eiffel Tower and Louvre Museum were blanketed in snow, which also snarled traffic in parts of France.
There was good news for some Berlin residents during the cold snap as power was being restored to thousands of households in the German capital that had been without electricity in freezing temperatures for four days following a suspected far-left attack on high-voltage lines, authorities said.
Schiphol Airport, on the outskirts of Amsterdam, set up hundreds of field beds overnight and served breakfast to weary travelers as staff worked to clear snow from runways and deice airplanes. At least 800 flights were canceled Wednesday at the airport, one of Europe’s busiest aviation hubs.
National airline KLM said that lines at the airport were decreasing, in part because passengers were warned on time that their flights were canceled, so they didn’t head to the airport.
The Dutch rail and road networks were also hard hit by fresh snowfall during the morning rush hour and more squalls later in the day.
Rail operator NS urged travelers to “delay your journey if possible.” It warned of fewer trains operating as problems caused by the snow and icy temperatures in the Netherlands hit train travel harder than expected. Both domestic and international trains were affected, NS said.
Drivers braving the snowy conditions didn’t fare much better, with more than 700 kilometers (435 miles) of traffic jams clogging the country’s roads as trucks slid across highways and slow-moving snow plows cleared the roads.
Snow in Paris
France’s national weather service, Meteo France, said large parts of northern and western France, including the Paris region, were on alert for snow and black ice. French authorities advised people to work from home and avoid using their cars in the snow-hit regions. Trucks and school buses were banned from using the roads. Bus traffic was suspended in Paris on Wednesday morning.
Transport Minister Philippe Tabarot said that more than 100 flights were canceled Wednesday at Paris Charles de Gaulle airport and about 40 others at Paris Orly airport.
French railway company SNCF warned passengers about disruptions and delays because of weather conditions, saying that “snow on the tracks is forcing us to limit train speed and cancel trains or adjust traffic.” Eurostar trains between Paris, London and Brussels were also being delayed.
Wintry Sweden
Even countries more accustomed to harsh winter weather reported problems as the snowy snap endured over large parts of Europe.
There was heavy snow in western Sweden, and authorities in Göteborg took all the city’s trams out of service Wednesday morning because of the weather, broadcaster SVT reported. Snow banks churned up by passing trams posed a risk to other traffic.
Difficulties starting diesel buses that had been standing in the cold over the holidays and poor driving conditions led to bus cancellations and delays in the Helsinki area, Finnish broadcaster Yle reported.
___
Associated Press journalist around Europe contributed to this report.