Snow and ice caused travel chaos in northwest Europe on Wednesday, while others were delighted by the snow-covered streets of Paris, venturing out on sledges and skis.
Storm Goretti, which swept in from the Atlantic, arrived in Paris at dawn, dumping heavy snowfall across the city. This led to more flight cancellations, traffic jams, and disruptions to transport services.
Bus services in Paris were suspended as shops prepared for the first day of the New Year sales. However, tourists and locals took pleasure in the rare sight of a snow-covered Paris, with some seizing the opportunity to ski down Montmartre or along the Champs de Mars gardens beneath the Eiffel Tower.
“It’s exceptional, it’s incredible. It’s magnificent, and we’re enjoying it. We’ve also seen many tourists, and they seem so happy,” said Pierre, a local resident admiring the snowy landscape.
People used sledges or even plastic bags to slide down any slopes they could find.
The French Weather Office had warned of snowfall across the northern part of the country on Wednesday. KLM airline warns of de-icing fluid shortage
Dutch airline KLM cancelled 600 flights scheduled for Wednesday at Amsterdam's Schiphol airport, marking the sixth consecutive day of disruption at one of Europe's busiest airports.
KLM also warned of a shortage of de-icing fluid for its aircraft, with difficulties in replenishing supplies. No shortages were reported in France.
The French civil aviation authority instructed airlines to cancel 40% of flights at Paris' main international airport, Charles de Gaulle, and 25% at the smaller Orly airport.
Brussels’ international airport also experienced cancellations and delays, while train operator Eurostar flagged significant delays and cancellations. Calls to work from home
Dutch authorities urged people to work from home, while French officials banned trucks and school buses from the roads in a third of the country’s administrative departments, mostly in the northern half.
Carrefour CEO Alexandre Bompard acknowledged that the truck ban would cause some disruption to supermarket supply chains, particularly for fresh produce.
Further east in Germany, temperatures plummeted below minus 10 degrees Celsius (14 degrees Fahrenheit) again on Wednesday, but traffic disruptions were minimal.
Spain also faced snow and unusually cold temperatures, leading to the suspension of a commuter rail line near Madrid and causing disruptions to more than 40 roads across the country. Passengers stranded on train in Croatia
Heavy snow and rain overnight caused travel disruptions across the Western Balkans.
In northwestern Croatia, passengers were trapped on a train for more than 12 hours in the town of Knin after trees fell onto the tracks.
Some towns in eastern Bosnia and western Serbia declared emergencies following power and water cuts.
In Poland, many schools were closed due to the snow, with some switching to remote learning. In Hungary, heavy snowfall caused delays to trains and buses on Wednesday morning.
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