Snow and ice hit parts of Europe on Tuesday, causing deadly accidents and travel chaos, with authorities warning residents and travelers to avoid dangerous conditions.
In France, officials in the Landes region of southwestern France reported three people died in accidents. Authorities in the Île-de-France area around Paris reported that at least two more people were reportedly killed in accidents, after snowfall caused huge traffic jams on Monday and authorities ordered trucks off the road.
Paris awoke Tuesday to a blanket of snow on rooftops and other landmarks, and schools that could not hold classes canceled lessons for children. Air travelers had less relief: heavy snowfall forced the closure of six airports in the north and west of France.
The weather also complicated departures across the Netherlands. At Amsterdam’s Schiphol Airport, the airport reported that some 600 flights were grounded during the day as crews cleared runways and de-iced planes waiting to depart, and more snow was forecast for the rest of the week.
Dutch airline KLM warned travelers at Schiphol about fraudsters posing as customer service staff and circulating incorrect phone numbers. It also said it was running short of the glycol fluid it uses combined with hot water to de-ice planes before they take off, noting that airports across Europe were facing similar problems after days of freezing temperatures.
Outside Schiphol, ground travel was similarly disrupted. The national rail operator NS said the Netherlands’ rail system was thrown into turmoil by an early morning software glitch, and that limited services resumed later, though routes around Amsterdam remained largely closed due to icy conditions. NS urged commuters to “only travel if it’s absolutely necessary.”
For some residents, the disruption meant abandoning public transport. Thijs Rademakers, an 18-year-old student in Arnhem, said he decided to ride his bike rather than wait for public transport. “It was tough, very slippery,” he said. “Many people fall. Luckily, I didn’t.”
In Italy, weeks of rain in Rome had swelled the Tiber River and muted Pope Leo XIV’s Christmas-time celebrations. St. Peter’s Square was only partially full Tuesday as a few thousand people gathered under umbrellas to hear Leo deliver his Epiphany blessing from the loggia of St. Peter’s Basilica, according to the report. Rome’s mayor, Roberto Gualtieri, issued an ordinance for Tuesday limiting public access to parks and other areas at risk for falling trees and flooding.
Further north, snow dusted Bologna and brought some relief to skiers in the Dolomites, with freezing temperatures forecast for much of northern and central Italy over the coming days.
In Britain, a cold snap pushed northern temperatures as low as minus 12.5 degrees Celsius overnight, disrupting travel by rail, road and air as well as closing hundreds of schools. Horse races and soccer matches were canceled, and a power failure caused by ice closed Glasgow’s subway.
The report said up to 15 centimeters of snow was forecast for northern Scotland, where some people were already snowed in by previous falls. Northeast Scotland lawmaker Andrew Bowie called the situation “critical,” urging soldiers to be sent in to clear snow and deliver food and medical supplies to stranded people.
The cold and wet weather also spread through the Balkans, swelling rivers and disrupting traffic as well as power and water supplies. In Bosnia’s capital Sarajevo, the report said a woman died on Monday after a snow-covered tree branch fell on her head. In Serbia, authorities warned drivers to be very careful as many planned trips toward skiing resorts for Orthodox Christmas on Wednesday and the weekend ahead; black ice stopped cars and forced some drivers to park on the side on the way to Mount Bjelasnica above Sarajevo on Tuesday morning.
Farther along the Adriatic coast, heavy wind and stormy seas battered areas of Croatia and Montenegro. Video footage showed the sea sweeping through holiday cottages at Ada Bojana in southern Montenegro during a storm.
Associated Press writers across Europe contributed to this report.