Snow and ice stalled travellers in northwest Europe on Wednesday, forcing around a thousand to spend the night in Amsterdam's Schiphol airport but delighting others who set out to explore a snow-blanketed Paris on sledges and skis.
Storm Goretti blew in from the Atlantic coast and dumped heavy snow on Paris as daylight broke, prompting further flight cancellations, traffic snarls and transport disruptions after days of delays.
Meanwhile, tourists and residents enjoyed the rare sight of snow-covered Paris, with a few taking the opportunity to ski down the slopes of Montmartre and along the Champs de Mars gardens below the Eiffel Tower.
"It's exceptional, it's incredible. It's magnificent and we're enjoying it. We also came across a lot of tourists and they look so happy," said Pierre, a Parisian out admiring the snowy scenery.
People grabbed sledges or even just plastic bags to slide down any slopes they could find.
Meanwhile, more than 1,000 travellers spent the night in Schiphol airport as some 700 flights were cancelled on Wednesday, marking the sixth consecutive day of disruption at one of Europe's busiest aviation hubs.
Schiphol spokesperson Stephan Donker said it was an "exceptional situation".
The airport had set up a few hundred beds before and after security checks and provided pillows, blankets, food and drinks for travellers, he added.
Schiphol said later it expected no further cancellations on Thursday as temperatures were forecast to rise.
Dutch airline KLM said on Wednesday it had received a new supply of 100,000 litres of de-icing fluids, after warning on Tuesday that it was running low.
KLM has used around 85,000 litres every day since Friday (2 January) to remove snow and ice from aircraft before takeoff.
KLM's supplier Clariant said it was directing de-icing fluid to the airports where it was most urgently needed, even as the icy conditions hampered logistics.
"We are working around the clock to support our customers and partners...to help keep operations running as smoothly as possible in inherently unpredictable conditions," it said.
Around 100 flights were cancelled at Paris' Charles de Gaulle airport and 40 at its smaller Orly airport on Wednesday morning, French Transport Minister Philippe Tabarot told CNews.
Brussels' international airport and train operator Eurostar also reported cancellations and delays. Conditions spur winter shopping
Many schools in the Netherlands were shut and authorities urged people to work from home. Several districts were running low on salt and only able to clear major roads, news agency ANP reported.
France had early on Wednesday banned trucks and school buses from the roads in a third of its administrative departments, but lifted severe weather warnings for most of them later on.
Paris bus services were suspended as shops geared up for the first day of the New Year sales.
Christophe Noel, head of France's FACT industry group, said the weather was positive for winter sales.
"It will make people want to buy equipment."
In Spain, snow and cold prompted the suspension of one commuter rail line near Madrid and disrupted more than 40 roads. Passengers trapped on train in Croatia
Heavy snow and rain overnight caused travel disruption across the Western Balkans as well.
Passengers were trapped in a train for more than 12 hours in the town of Knin in northwestern Croatia after trees fell onto the tracks. Some towns in eastern Bosnia and western Serbia declared emergency situations after power and water cuts.
In Poland, schools in many regions were closed due to snow, with some switching to remote learning. In Hungary, heavy snow hit highways and delayed trains and buses on Wednesday morning.
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Tensions in the region remained high on Tuesday (10 March), as the United States and Iran exchanged increasingly sharp warnings, including threats over the strategic Strait of Hormuz, a critical artery for global oil supplies.
Iran and the U.S. exchanged threats on Tuesday, as U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth warned Tehran to expect the “most intense day" of attacks so far. Meanwhile, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said “anyone who entertains the illusion of destroying Iran knows nothing of history."
The Strait of Hormuz has become a focal point of global concern as tensions rise following the conflict involving Iran, the United States and Israel. Tehran has threatened to block the strategic waterway, raising fears of disruption to global oil shipments and energy markets.
Reports of so-called “acid clouds” moving from Iran towards Central Asia are not supported by scientific data, national hydrometeorological services in Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan say, adding there is no threat to the region.
Tensions in the region remained high on Tuesday (10 March), as the United States and Iran exchanged increasingly sharp warnings, including threats over the strategic Strait of Hormuz, a critical artery for global oil supplies.
Global oil prices surpassed $119 a barrel on Monday (9 March, 2026), an almost four year high, as the Middle East conflict rumbled on.
China has urged Afghanistan and Pakistan to resolve their dispute through dialogue after Chinese envoy Yue Xiaoyong met Afghan Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi, as fighting between the two neighbours entered its eleventh day.
Entry and exit across the state border between Azerbaijan and Iran for all types of cargo vehicles, including those in transit, will resume on 9 March, according to a statement by the Cabinet of Ministers of Azerbaijan.
Iran named Mojtaba Khamenei to succeed his father Ali Khamenei as supreme leader on Monday (9 March), signaling that hardliners remain firmly in charge, as the week-old U.S.-Israeli war with Iran pushed oil above $100 a barrel.
Emirates and Etihad Airways were resuming limited flight schedules to key global cities from their United Arab Emirates hubs on Friday (6 March), though the ongoing threat of missile fire piled pressure on airlines.
Air fares between Asia and Europe have surged after major Gulf hubs, including Dubai, partially reopened following closures linked to the conflict between Israel, the U.S. and Iran. Airlines are still rerouting flights around restricted airspace, cutting economy seat supply and pushing up prices.
Global air travel remained in turmoil on Monday after U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran and retaliatory strikes in the Gulf region prompted widespread airspace closures across the Middle East, disrupting one of the world’s most important aviation corridors.
Chinese travellers made an estimated 362.58 million cross-regional passenger trips on Monday, the final day of the Spring Festival holiday, according to official data.
A powerful winter storm has brought large parts of the U.S. Northeast to a standstill, dumping more than 30 cms (a foot) of snow across several states and severely disrupting transport and daily life.
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