LONDON — A severe winter storm, featuring heavy snowfall and freezing rain, wreaked havoc across Europe on Sunday, particularly affecting the U.K. and Germany. This inclement weather led to the suspension of flights at several major airports.
In the U.K., concerns are rising as the adverse conditions seem likely to persist throughout the day. Rural communities, especially in northern England, face the threat of being isolated, with snow accumulations reaching up to 40 centimeters (15 inches) at elevations above 300 meters (985 feet).
The National Grid, the entity responsible for managing the country’s electricity supply, has been actively engaged in restoring power following outages reported in cities including Birmingham, Bristol, and Cardiff in Wales.
Many sporting events have been postponed due to the conditions; however, the highly-anticipated Premier League match between Liverpool and Manchester United went ahead after inspections of Liverpool’s Anfield stadium and local weather conditions confirmed safety.
Air traffic faced significant disruption as both Liverpool’s John Lennon Airport and Manchester Airport had to close runways overnight. Fortunately, operations were gradually returning to normal by Sunday afternoon, though Leeds Bradford Airport took longer to resume flights.
The road transport system also suffered greatly, coinciding with what is typically a busy travel period as families return from their Christmas and New Year’s holidays and students head back to universities. Local authorities proactively closed many roads, but stranded vehicles and accidents led to additional disruptions in various areas.
Numerous train services across the U.K. were canceled, with National Rail warning travelers of potential ongoing disruptions into the coming week. The Met Office, the principal weather forecasting body in Britain, indicated that sleet and snow would continue to advance northward, with the heaviest precipitation expected in northern England and southern Scotland. After experiencing freezing rain—a phenomenon where super-cooled rain freezes upon contact—the southern regions are anticipated to see milder conditions. The Environment Agency issued eight flood warnings for southern England concerning the Taw and Avon rivers.
Meanwhile, Germany is also grappling with the impacts of winter weather as snowfall moves in from the southwest. Authorities have cautioned drivers and pedestrians about the dangers of black ice, urging residents to remain indoors when possible.
At Frankfurt airport, around 120 of the 1,090 scheduled take-offs and landings were canceled, as reported by the Fraport press office. Additionally, only one runway remained operational at Munich airport due to snow clearance efforts.
In Baden-Wuerttemberg, a bus skidded off the road near Hemmingen injuring eight people, while long-distance train services in the Frankfurt area experienced irregular schedules due to the adverse weather.
