With public buses grounded, Parisians were forced to use alternative modes of transport – Image: Ludovic Marin/AFP
Europe: A cold snap has grounded hundreds of flights in Amsterdam and Paris. Bus services were also suspended in the French capital, where locals grabbed skis and sledges to enjoy the rare heavy snow.
A winter storm affecting large parts of western Europe was causing widespread travel chaos for a third day on Wednesday.
At least six people have died in weather-related incidents this week. Five of those deaths were in France, with the sixth coming in Bosnia, where snow and rain have triggered floods and power outages.
How is the storm affecting air travel in northwestern Europe?
At least 700 flights at Amsterdam’s Schiphol Airport were canceled on Wednesday because of the snow and wind, after days of travel disruptions due to the winter storm.
Over 1,000 passengers were stranded at Schiphol overnight. Airport authorities said they had set up camp beds for travelers who were forced to sleep at the airport, which is one of the busiest in Europe.
Schiphol in Amsterdam is one of Europe’s busiest hubs – Image: Piroschka Van De Wouw/REUTERS
In Paris, heavy snowfall forced around 140 flights to be canceled at Orly and Charles de Gaulle airports in the French capital.
Around 40 flights were also canceled in the Belgian capital.
Bus, rail, school services frozen
Public buses were also suspended in Paris, as shops began the first day of New Year’s sales.
School buses and trucks have also been banned from roads across northern and western France, amid forecasts of significant snowfall and black ice.
Rail services were facing delays and disruptions, the country’s rail operator said.
“Snow on the tracks is forcing us to limit train speed and cancel trains or adjust traffic,” SNCF said. Eurostar trains between Paris, London and Brussels were also delayed.
In Scotland, hundreds of schools were closed for a third day amid freezing temperatures and snow. Authorities in England, meanwhile, were bracing for a snowstorm later this week.
The snow grounded at least 140 flights in Paris – Image: Kiran Ridley/AFP
Parisians take advantage of snow day
While the weather was severely disrupting travel in Paris, tourists and locals took the opportunity to enjoy the snow.
People were seen skiing or sledding down Montmartre’s steep hills, along the Champs de Mars underneath the Eiffel Tower, near the Louvre museum and along the banks of the River Seine.
Teona, a tourist from the United Kingdom visiting Paris told DW: “I think it’s really fun visiting here when it’s snowy. I did have my cautions about it but I think I prefer it with the snow.”
Richard, a Paris resident whom we met walking his dog, said: “I woke up this morning, everything was white. I was looking out the window — it was so magical and I took the occasion to go out with my dog to play a bit in the snow. It’s the second time he sees the snow. It’s wonderful!”
Not everyone was as pleased with the blanket of snow covering the capital, however. Michael, a local resident, said: “I’m annoyed! Because it’s slippery, because you have to watch your step, because it ruins your shoes! It’s no good at all!”
DW.com/NAN 8-1-26
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