Snowstorm freezes big Europe cities, flyers hit

Snow and ice stalled travellers in northwest Europe on Wednesday, forcing around a thousand to spend the night in Amsterdam’s Schiphol airport but delighting others who set out ‍to explore a snow-blanketed ‌Paris on sledges and skis.

Storm Goretti blew in from the Atlantic coast and dumped heavy snow on Paris as daylight broke, prompting further flight cancellations, traffic snarls ‍and transport disruptions after days of delays.

Meanwhile, tourists and residents enjoyed the rare sight of snow-covered Paris, with a few taking the opportunity to ski down the slopes of Montmartre and along the Champs de Mars gardens below the Eiffel Tower.

“It’s exceptional, it’s incredible. It’s magnificent and we’re enjoying it. We also came across a ‍lot of tourists and they look so happy,” said Pierre, a Parisian out admiring the snowy scenery.

People grabbed sledges or even just plastic bags to slide down ‍any slopes they could find.

More than 1,000 travellers spent the night in Schiphol airport as some 700 flights were cancelled on Wednesday, marking the sixth consecutive day of disruption at one of Europe’s busiest aviation hubs.

Schiphol spokesperson Stephan Donker said it was an “exceptional situation”. The airport had set up a few hundred beds before and after security checks and provided pillows, blankets, food and drinks for travellers, he added.

Schiphol said later it expected no further cancellations on Thursday as temperatures were forecast to rise.

Dutch airline KLM said on Wednesday ‌it had received a new supply of 100,000 litres of de-icing fluids, after warning on Tuesday that it was running low.

KLM has ‍used around 85,000 litres every day since Friday to remove snow and ice from aircraft before takeoff.

KLM’s supplier Clariant said it was directing de-icing fluid to the airports where it was most urgently needed, even as the icy conditions hampered logistics.

“We are working around the clock to support our customers and partners...to help ​keep operations running as smoothly as possible in inherently unpredictable conditions,” it said.

Dutch Rail operator NS urged travellers 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

Around 100 flights were cancelled at Paris’ Charles de Gaulle airport and 40 at its smaller Orly airport on Wednesday morning, French Transport Minister Philippe Tabarot told CNews.

Brussels’ international airport and train operator Eurostar also reported cancellations and delays.

Many schools in the ​Netherlands were shut ‍and authorities urged people to work from home. Several districts were running low on salt and only able to clear major roads, news agency ‌ANP reported.

France had early on Wednesday banned trucks and school buses from the roads in a third of its administrative departments, but lifted severe weather warnings for most of them later on.

Paris bus services were suspended as shops geared up for the first day of the New Year sales.

Christophe Noel, head of France’s FACT industry group, ​said the weather was positive ‌for winter sales.

“It will make people want to buy equipment.”

In Spain, snow and cold prompted the suspension of one commuter rail line near Madrid and disrupted more than 40 roads.

Heavy snow and rain overnight caused travel disruption across the Western Balkans as well.

Passengers were trapped in a train for over 12 hours in the town of Knin in northwestern Croatia after trees fell onto the tracks. Some towns in ‌eastern Bosnia and western Serbia declared emergency situations after power and water cuts.

In Poland, schools in many regions were closed due to snow, with some switching to remote learning. In Hungary, heavy snow hit highways and delayed trains and buses on Wednesday morning.

Agencies