- 1,000-mile traffic jam in Belgium.
- Frankfurt airport SHUT DOWN.
- A quarter of flights cancelled in Paris.
- Trains stuck in their stations.
- Thousands of commuters stranded.
Belgium had a record 1,000 miles of traffic jams during morning rush hour as snowdrifts turned roads slippery and reduced vision.
Thousands of commuters were stranded on snowed-in platforms after many trains from Belgium were canceled, including some high-speed trains to France, Germany and the Netherlands.
In Cherbourg, northern France, snowdrifts piled up two feet and winds reached more than 60 mph. Roads around northern France were blocked by snow or closed by authorities, and trucks were banned from several routes.
The French civil aviation authority ordered 25 per cent of flights out of Charles de Gaulle Airport canceled, and 20 per cent of flights out of Orly Airport.
At least 20 people were injured, six seriously, after a horrendous 100-car pile-up in Germany. A spokesman said Autobahn 45 looked ‘like a battlefield.’ Heavy drifting snow had already led to several accidents in the area before the collision.
Frankfurt airport closed at midday after recording about five inches of snow.
See lots of photos:
Thanks to Aubrey Smyth for this link