Freezing Weather Brings Deaths And Travel Chaos

A relentless blast of snow, ice and bitter temperatures has left six people dead and travel networks reeling across large parts of Europe this week. Local officials in the Landes area of south-west France reported three fatalities and 15 injuries from road collisions on Tuesday, while two further deaths were recorded in the Paris region. In Sarajevo a woman was killed after a snow-laden branch fell on her head on Monday — a grim reminder that the storm’s dangers are not limited to roads and runways. France awoke under a white sheet on Tuesday as heavy falls forced the closure of six airports in the country’s north and west, while Amsterdam’s Schiphol airport cancelled hundreds of flights as crews cleared runways and de-iced aircraft. Dutch domestic rail services were also brought to a halt early on Tuesday after an IT failure, adding to the weather-related disruption. Eurostar services from Amsterdam to Paris were reported cancelled or delayed. Much of central Europe has plunged well below freezing. German readings dropped past -10C in parts of the south and east early on Tuesday, and forecasters are warning of another storm due on Friday that could dump further snow across northern and eastern regions. The UK felt the chill too: overnight temperatures tumbled to around -12.5C, with snow causing chaos on tracks, roads and at airports, and leading to the closure of hundreds of schools across northern areas. Italy is seeing contrasting conditions. Northern lowlands are below freezing and parts of Emilia-Romagna, Marche and Tuscany were expected to see snow on Tuesday. Meanwhile, central and southern regions are grappling with heavy rain and gusting winds. In Rome, prolonged downpours swelled the Tiber and thinned the crowd for an Epiphany blessing in St Peter’s Square — only a few thousand people stood under umbrellas. The mayor, Roberto Gualtieri, temporarily restricted access to parks and other vulnerable areas after two large pine trees fell recently near iconic sites including the Colosseum and Via Appia Nuova. Across the Balkans, persistent snow and rain have swollen rivers, interrupted traffic and caused outages in power and water services. Parts of western Serbia have introduced emergency measures and warned motorists to take extra care as many travel for Orthodox Christmas later this week. The Adriatic coasts of Croatia and Montenegro have been lashed by high winds and rough seas. Taken together, the scenes underline how one weather system can hit airports, railways, schools and historic city centres all at once — and how fragile services can become when extreme cold and heavy rain arrive together. Authorities across Europe are urging caution as forecasters warn more rough weather could be on the way. --- Managing your business finances? TaxAce provides smart online accountancy services for UK businesses with flexible monthly plans. Image and reporting: https://www.theguardian.com | Read original article