Snow paralyses transport across Europe as Parisians take to skis

PARIS/BRUSSELS: Heavy snowfall and icy conditions disrupted transport across large parts of Europe on Wednesday, forcing airlines to cancel hundreds of flights and keeping trucks and school buses off the roads, while Parisians took rare advantage of the weather to ski through the city.

Storm Goretti swept in from the Atlantic and covered Paris in snow at daybreak, triggering traffic jams, power disruptions in some areas and widespread transport delays. Bus services in the French capital were suspended, while the city marked the first day of New Year sales.

Despite the disruption, many residents and tourists headed outdoors to enjoy the unusual snowfall. People were seen skiing down the slopes of Montmartre and gliding through the Champs de Mars near the Eiffel Tower, while others used sledges and plastic sheets to slide down hills.

France’s weather agency warned of snow across much of northern France, advising people to avoid unnecessary travel.

Air travel was severely affected. Dutch carrier KLM cancelled about 600 flights at Amsterdam’s Schiphol Airport — one of Europe’s busiest hubs — and warned it was running low on de-icing fluid because resupply was delayed. France reported no such shortage.

French aviation authorities directed airlines to cut 40 per cent of flights at Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport and 25 per cent at Orly. Brussels Airport also reported cancellations and delays, while Eurostar flagged major disruption to cross-Channel rail services.

Authorities in the Netherlands urged people to work from home. In France, trucks and school buses were barred from many roads, mostly in the northern provinces. Retail chain Carrefour said the truck ban could temporarily disrupt fresh supplies.

Cold weather spread further east. Temperatures in parts of Germany again fell below minus 10 degrees Celsius, though authorities reported limited traffic disruption. Spain also faced snow and unusually cold weather, with a commuter rail line near Madrid suspended and more than 40 roads affected.

In the Western Balkans, heavy snow and rain caused widespread travel chaos. Passengers in Croatia were trapped for more than 12 hours on a train near Knin after fallen trees blocked the tracks. Some towns in eastern Bosnia and western Serbia declared emergencies following power and water cuts. Schools in parts of Poland were closed due to snow, with some switching to online classes. In Hungary, highways and railway services were hit by delays as heavy snowfall continu