Authorities in the Netherlands have advised people to stay at home if possible on Wednesday as a fresh blizzard is set to hit overnight.
French Transportation Minister Philippe Tabarot has announced that airlines have been instructed to cancel 40% of flights at Paris’ main Charles de Gaulle airport and 25% of flights at Orly due to the snow. Public transportation in the Paris region is also likely to be disrupted.
With more snowfall expected, Dutch airline KLM has preemptively canceled 600 flights on Wednesday to avoid last-minute disruptions at Schiphol airport. KLM had already canceled 400 flights on Tuesday and urged affected travelers to stay away from the airport to prevent overcrowding.
“We haven’t seen such extreme weather conditions in years,” said KLM spokesperson Anoesjka Aspeslagh.
Stranded at Schiphol, Simiao Sun expressed concern about spending her 40th birthday in transit as she faced a three-day wait for a rescheduled flight to the UK. KLM is working to provide alternative flights and assistance to travelers amidst a surge in inquiries.
Meanwhile, all domestic rail services in the Netherlands were temporarily suspended due to an IT outage, causing disruptions in train services around Amsterdam.
In Germany, temperatures dropped below -10 degrees Celsius in the south and east, leading to widespread snowfall. The UK experienced its coldest night of the winter so far, with temperatures plummeting to -12.5 degrees Celsius in Marham, Norfolk.
Heavy snow and rain have also impacted the Western Balkans, resulting in road closures, power outages, and flooding. Tragically, a woman lost her life in Sarajevo after a tree collapsed under the weight of wet snow.
As the snow continues to fall across Europe, travel disruptions are expected to persist, with authorities urging caution and preparedness for the challenging weather conditions.
