Intense Cold Snap Grips Northern Europe, Stranding Tourists and Disrupting Travel
Temperatures plummet to -39C in Finland as severe weather causes flight cancellations and road hazards across the continent.
Callum Smith
Northern Europe is battling an extreme cold snap.
Runways have been empty for three consecutive days as airlines cancel flights, according to Finavia.
Weather conditions affect air traffic worldwide, and weather-related changes are standard in aviation, but the current situation is particularly severe.
Heavy snowfall, high winds, and icy roads have paralyzed travel across parts of Europe. Over 100 flights were cancelled at Frankfurt Airport in Germany due to heavy snowfall and ice.
All schools in North Rhine-Westphalia will remain closed on Monday, switching to online classes. Flights to European hubs including London, Bristol, Manchester, Paris, and Amsterdam remain disrupted.
Fintraffic reported difficult road conditions across 93 percent of Finland on Monday. The severe weather is linked to at least six deaths across Europe.
Five people died in accidents on icy roads in France, while a snow-laden branch fell on a woman in Sarajevo, Bosnia, resulting in one death.
Last week, a bus carrying Ukrainian passengers skidded into a ditch in Northern Ostrobothnia, though no serious injuries were reported.
In France, strong winds battered the country on Friday, leaving at least 320,000 homes without power, primarily in the Normandy region.
Finnish residents say this year's cold is more severe than in previous years, as the country's infrastructure struggles to cope with the extreme conditions.
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