Much of Europe is dealing with more snow and ice on Wednesday as Storm Goretti, the first named storm of the year, hits the continent's Atlantic coast. Hundreds of flights in France and Belgium have been grounded, with passengers stranded at airports. Drivers in the UK are being warned of dangerous road conditions. Western Europe saw heavy snow overnight and into the morning on Wednesday as the French capital saw a rare stretch of sub-zero temperatures. A thick blanket of snowfall glistened on streets and monuments across Paris, with some residents resorting to skiing their way across the city. Around 100 flights were cancelled at Paris' Charles de Gaulle airport on Wednesday morning because of snowfall and fierce cold, and a further 40 at the French capital's Orly airport, France's transport minister said. The disruption had been predicted late on Tuesday, with Transport Minister Philippe Tabarot telling CNews television he was "hoping the situation returns to normal this afternoon". All public bus services in Paris and the surrounding suburbs were also suspended due to icy roads, though the vast majority of metro and suburban rail systems were still working, transport officials said. The Meteo France weather service said 38 of the country's 96 mainland departments were on alert for heavy snow and black ice, with three to seven centimetres of snow already accumulated. It said the cold snap was of "rare intensity for the season" and authorities had already warned people in the Paris region to avoid unnecessary travel and work at home if possible on Wednesday. Meanwhile, Amsterdam's Schiphol Airport, one of the largest in Europe, announced at least 700 flight cancellations on Wednesday because of snow and wind, following days of weather-related travel disruptions. More than 1,000 people spent the night at Schiphol, the airport said, adding that it had set up camp beds and offered breakfast to travellers forced to sleep there. The number of cancellations is expected to rise throughout the day. In Belgium, at least 40 flights were cancelled at Brussels Airport on Wednesday with officials there warning of delays throughout the entire day. Due to the de-icing of aircraft and clearing snow from runways, the airport warned on its website that delays are expected for all of Wednesday. "Our winter operations teams are prepared and will make every effort to minimise the impact on the airport," the statement said. In the United Kingdom, a yellow warning for strong winds is in place for Cornwall, Devon and the Isles of Scilly as Storm Goretti is expected to cause disruption across much of the southwest. Across Bristol, Bath, Gloucestershire and Wiltshire, a yellow snow warning will be active until midday on Friday. The storm system is also expected to bring heavy snow to Wales by the end of the week. The Met Office has warned that heavy snowfall could cause difficult travelling conditions and lead to delays. The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) also extended amber cold health alerts for England until Sunday. Nordic countries were also facing snow-related chaos, with officials in eastern Sweden warning that power cuts were "likely" because of heavy snowfall. Trams were suspended in the western city of Gothenburg and the authorities in the wider region warned people not to drive and stay at home if possible. In Denmark, the authorities in the far-north region of North Jutland warned people to brace themselves for heavy snow but said the situation was under control. "For now, calm prevails in North Jutland, but we are taking the weather forecast very seriously," police wrote in a statement. "We also urge citizens to prepare and keep safety advice in mind, especially if they have to travel in difficult traffic conditions." Since the mercury dropped on Monday, five people have died in France and one woman in Bosnia as heavy snow and rain sparked floods and power outages across the Balkans. With the chill making roads perilous, three people died in accidents linked to black ice in southwestern France on Monday morning, authorities said, while a taxi driver died in hospital on Monday night after his vehicle veered off the road and plunged into the Marne river in the Paris region. After nearly 40 centimetres of snow fell in the Bosnian capital Sarajevo at the weekend, a woman died in hospital after being hit by a tree that collapsed under the weight of the snowfall on Monday, according to police. — Agencies
