Six people have died as snow, ice and freezing temperatures continue to wreak havoc across parts of Europe.
Authorities in the Landes region of south-west France said three people died and 15 were injured in road accidents on Tuesday, while two more were killed in accidents in the Paris area. One driver died in hospital on Monday night after veering into the Marne River and another was killed after a collision with a heavy goods vehicle in the east of the French capital.
In the Bosnian capital of Sarajevo, a woman died on Monday after a snow-covered tree branch fell on her head.
Many flights will be cancelled from Paris’s two main airports, Roissy-Charles de Gaulle and Orly, early on Wednesday to allow ground crews to clear snow from runways and de-ice planes. About 40% of flights at Charles de Gaulle were expected to be scrapped and 25% at Orly.
Paris awoke on Tuesday to a blanket of snow on rooftops and monuments.
In the Netherlands, hundreds of flights were cancelled at Amsterdam’s Schiphol airport as staff worked to clear runways and de-ice planes. Rail travellers in the country faced chaos after domestic services were suspended early on Tuesday due to an IT outage, compounding the disruption caused by the weather.
Eurostar services to Paris from Amsterdam were either cancelled or running late.
Freezing temperatures have gripped much of Europe, with the thermometer plunging well below -10C (14F) in south and east Germany early on Tuesday. German meteorologists have forecast a storm in the country on Friday, with heavy snowfall expected in the north and east.
In Britain, temperatures fell to -12.5C overnight, with snow disrupting rail, road and air travel and forcing the closure of hundreds of schools across northern regions.
Temperatures in lowland areas of northern Italy have fallen below freezing, with snow expected in the medium- to low-altitude areas of Emilia-Romagna, Marche and Tuscany on Tuesday.
Central and southern regions in Italy are experiencing mild winds that are bringing heavy rain. Incessant rain in Rome has swollen the banks of the Tiber River, putting a dampener on Pope Leo’s Epiphany blessing in St Peter’s Square, which was only partly full as a few thousand people crowded under umbrellas.
Roberto Gualtieri, the mayor of Rome, issued an ordinance for Tuesday limiting public access to parks and other areas at risk of falling trees and flooding. Two huge pine trees have fallen in recent days due to the severe weather in the Italian capital – one on Via dei Fori Imperiali, close to the Colosseum, the other on Via Appia Nuova.
Heavy snow and heavy rain have swept through Balkan countries, swelling rivers and causing traffic problems and disrupting power and water supplies.
In Serbia, some local authorities in the country’s west introduced emergency measures due to the severe weather while warning drivers to take care as many set off toward skiing resorts or elsewhere for Orthodox Christmas on Wednesday and the upcoming weekend.
Heavy wind and stormy seas have battered the Adriatic coastline in Croatia and Montenegro.