Winter weather simultaneously impacted northwest Europe on Wednesday, resulting in significant travel disruption for millions while also transforming Paris into a snow-covered environment where residents enthusiastically utilised sleds and skis.
Storm Goretti, blowing in from the Atlantic, blanketed the French capital at dawn, causing further flight cancellations, traffic snarls, and widespread transport disruption.
Shops prepared for the inaugural day of the New Year sales amid the suspension of the city’s bus services, according to a Reuters report.
However, both tourists and locals savored the unusual spectacle of snow blanketing Paris.
Some even seized the moment to ski down Montmartre’s slopes and through the Champs de Mars gardens, situated beneath the Eiffel Tower, according to the news agency report.
With snowfall expected across the northern half of France on Wednesday, according to the country’s Weather Office, people were seizing the opportunity to slide down slopes.
They were using anything from sledges to simple plastic bags.
KLM issues warning: de-icing fluid supply dwindling
For the sixth consecutive day, Amsterdam’s Schiphol airport, one of Europe’s busiest hubs, faced significant disruption as Dutch airline KLM cancelled 600 flights scheduled for Wednesday.
The airline has issued a warning about dwindling supplies of de-icing fluid for its jets, citing delays in replenishment.
France has not reported similar shortages.
The civil aviation authority in France requested airlines to reduce flights by 40% at Paris’ primary international airport, Charles de Gaulle, and by 25% at the smaller Orly airport.
Brussels’ international airport experienced cancellations and delays, and Eurostar, the train operator, also reported significant cancellations and delays.
Work from home advised
Authorities in the Netherlands recommended remote work, while French officials in a third of the country’s administrative departments—primarily in the north—prohibited trucks and school buses from using the roads.
Alexandre Bompard, CEO of Carrefour, stated that the truck ban is expected to cause some disruptions to the supermarket supply chains, particularly concerning fresh produce.
Temperatures in Germany dropped below minus 10 degrees Celsius (14 degrees Fahrenheit) again on Wednesday. Despite this, traffic disruption in the east has been limited.
Unusual cold and snow in Spain have caused significant disruption.
Over 40 roads across the country are affected, and a commuter rail line near Madrid has been suspended.
Train passengers stranded in Croatia.
Overnight, heavy snow and rain led to travel chaos throughout the Western Balkans.
In northwestern Croatia, passengers were stranded for over 12 hours on a train in Knin after fallen trees blocked the tracks, according to the Reuters report.
Power and water cuts prompted several towns in eastern Bosnia and western Serbia to declare states of emergency.
Heavy snowfall caused disruption in parts of Eastern Europe as well.
In Hungary, Wednesday morning saw highways affected, and train and bus services delayed.
Meanwhile, in Poland, snow led to the closure of schools in several regions, with some institutions moving to remote learning.
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