Europe shudders under pre-Christmas cold snap

Travelers are facing severe transport disruption as Northwest Europe was hit by a cold snap and early snow.

The French capital and much of the north of the country awoke to find a seven-centimetre blanket of snow, which delayed flights from Charles de Gaulle airport by up to two hours.The iconic Eiffel Tower was closed to visitors, and train and bus services were delayed in many areas, as daytime temperatures dropped below zero for the first time in the year and black ice coated northern roads.
In Britain, traffic disruptions are expected as heavy snow falls across much of the UK, with south-east and north-east England worst affected. The Met Office issued severe warnings for heavy snowfall in London, south-east and east England, as well as north-east England and East Midlands. Up to 20cm of snow is possible in Kent, Sussex, Surrey, London and East Anglia, with gale-force winds causing drifts.

The northern Netherlands experienced the worst falls in four years, with snow up to 25 centimetres deep in places, the national weather service said, while all bus services in the region were cancelled. Numerous flights were cancelled and delayed at Brussels airport.

In Germany, temperatures dropped to around minus two in the capital and drivers had to take care on the roads as the snow fell. The German government’s weather service says that some 10 centimeters of snow fell in the hills outside the financial capital Frankfurt.