A wave of freezing temperatures, heavy snowfall and icy conditions has caused widespread travel disruption across western Europe, grounding flights, delaying trains and halting road transport.
Hundreds of flights were cancelled at major airports on Wednesday, with air and rail services affected across several countries. At Amsterdam’s Schiphol Airport, more than 700 flights were called off, while France’s civil aviation authority instructed airlines to reduce flights by 40% at Paris’s main international airport.
The extreme weather has also proved deadly. At least six people have died in weather-related incidents this week five in France and one in Bosnia.
Dutch airline KLM warned that Schiphol was close to running out of de-icing fluid after several days of freezing temperatures. A spokesperson described the situation as exceptional, saying more than 1,000 passengers were forced to spend the night at the airport.
Temporary sleeping areas were set up both before and after security checkpoints, with food and drinks provided. Authorities warned that delays and cancellations could continue in the coming days due to knock-on effects.
In Paris, more than 100 flights were cancelled at Charles de Gaulle Airport, with a further 40 flights grounded at Orly. Dozens of services were also delayed or cancelled at Heathrow in London and Brussels Airport. Some Eurostar services between London and Paris were similarly disrupted.
Almost half of mainland France was placed on alert for heavy snowfall and black ice, with lorries banned from certain roads to prevent accidents. Truck driver Carle Bruno, speaking at a service station near the northern port of Le Havre, said remaining off the roads was preferable to being stranded in dangerous conditions.
French authorities confirmed that five people were killed earlier in the week in separate incidents caused by hazardous driving conditions. In Bosnia’s capital, Sarajevo, a woman died after around 40cm (16 inches) of snow fell on the city.
For those without shelter, the cold has been particularly harsh. Nineteen-year-old Guinean migrant Boubacar Camara, who was sleeping in a tent on the outskirts of Paris, said he had no choice but to endure the freezing temperatures.
Despite the dangers, the rare snowfall transformed Paris into a winter spectacle, drawing residents and tourists to ski down the slopes of Montmartre and through the Champs de Mars near the Eiffel Tower.
“It’s exceptional and beautiful,” said Pierre, a Paris resident. “It’s rare to see Paris like this, and people are enjoying the moment.”
