Traffic in Germany has been at a standstill for two days now due to snow and freezing rain. Highways are jammed, and rail and air lines are canceled. The north of the continent is also struggling with a difficult weather situation.
More than 300 of the 1,000 scheduled arrivals and departures were canceled at Frankfurt airport this morning, the spokesman said.
Snow and ice covered roads in central Germany, and freezing rain turned footpaths into ice rinks. Hundreds of vehicles are stuck on highways in the states of Hesse and Rhineland. The Red Cross distributed blankets and hot drinks to the drivers.
“The people we helped were here for more than seven hours. Buried in the snow, they became desperate, so it means a lot to them when they get a cup of hot tea or coffee. It’s easier for the truck drivers as they have beds and auxiliary heating,” said Pascal Hasel from Germany of the Red Cross, reports HRT.
In addition to road traffic, rail and air traffic were also disrupted. Hundreds of flights from Frankfurt Airport were canceled last night due to freezing rain. Today, a small number of planes still managed to take off.
“After yesterday’s massive cancellation of flights, the situation has somewhat normalized today. It snowed during the night, so our winter services are cleaning the runways. Now we can increase the number of landings and takeoffs,” said Jurgen Harer, Frankfurt Airport spokesman.
The snow storm also swept the Scandinavian region. In Oslo, the capital of Norway, the airport is temporarily closed because the pilots cannot see the runway due to drifting snow.
Parts of France are also struggling with traffic disruptions. Due to bad weather conditions, an orange warning was issued in 25 departments. The snow blanket whitened the French capital, Index reports.
