Widespread transport disruptions continue in Western Europe due to snow and ice: flights are cancelled, rail links are disrupted, and the number of road accidents has increased sharply.
According to Elchi.az, this is caused by the “Goretti” storm, which covers Europe from the Atlantic Ocean.
Hundreds of flights have been cancelled in France and Belgium, and passengers are stranded at airports. In Great Britain, drivers have been warned about dangerous conditions on the roads.
At Charles de Gaulle Airport in Paris, approximately 100 flights were cancelled on Wednesday morning, and 40 flights were cancelled at Orly Airport. When the first air transport disruption was recorded on the evening of January 6, French Transport Minister Philippe Tabarot said he hoped the situation would improve by noon the next day. But this did not happen.
Due to bad weather conditions, bus services in Paris and surrounding areas have been suspended, but the metro and suburban railway have mostly operated.
The Meteo France meteorological service announced that 3–7 cm of snow fell across the country. It was reported that the cold weather is unusually strong for this season, so residents of the capital and people living in the surrounding areas are advised to avoid unnecessary trips and work from home.
Amsterdam Schiphol Airport, one of the largest airports in Europe, announced on Wednesday that at least 700 flights had been cancelled due to snow and wind. Thousands of passengers spent the night at the airport, beds were set up for them and breakfast was provided.
At Brussels Airport, at least 40 flights have been cancelled, and officials have warned that there will be delays during the day due to de-icing of aircraft and snow removal from runways.
Bad weather conditions prevented passengers remaining at the airport from switching to train and car transport.
Eurostar announced that there may be serious delays and cancellations on the London–Paris, Amsterdam and Brussels routes. On the morning of January 7, trains were already delayed, and Brussels–London and Amsterdam–London trains operated on a limited schedule, which meant that passengers could not get off at intermediate stops.
In Great Britain, a yellow warning of strong winds has been issued for Cornwall, Devon and the Isles of Scilly due to the “Goretti” storm. A yellow warning for snow will remain in effect in Bristol, Bath, Gloucestershire and Wiltshire until Friday. Heavy snow is expected in Wales by the end of the week. Cold weather conditions will continue in England until the end of the week.
Scandinavian countries have also faced chaos due to snowfall. In eastern Sweden, authorities have warned of possible power outages due to heavy snow. Tram traffic has been suspended in the west of the country, and the regional administration has warned of danger on the roads due to ice. In Denmark, a heavy snow warning has been issued in North Jutland.
Since the temperature dropped on January 5, five people have died in France and one woman in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Heavy snow and rain have caused floods and power outages in the Balkans.