Six dead as Arctic freeze grips Europe and temperatures plunge as low as -33C

Six people have died as a powerful Arctic blast swept across Europe this week, with temperatures dropping as low as -33C.

Authorities in the Landes region of southwestern France reported three dead in accidents, including crashes linked with black ice.

Two were killed in the Île-de-France region near Paris, where snowfall caused traffic chaos resulting in a collision between a driver and a heavy goods vehicle. Trucks were ordered off the road amid the mayhem.

One woman in Sarajevo, Bosnia was killed after a snow-covered branch fell on her head following 40cm (16 inches) of snowfall in the region.

open image in gallery

Temperatures plummeted to -33C in Finland according to the Finnish Meteorological Service. In the Nordic region several countries hit freezing sub-zero figures. In Britain, temperatures fell to -12.5C and -10C in south and east Germany earlier this week.

Heavy snow and rain hit the Balkan region causing power outages and disruptions in water supplies.

The snow and ice caused severe transport disruption with hundreds of flights cancelled across airports across the continent. Travellers were forced to sleep in camp beds set up by Schiphol Airport in the departure hall after over 700 flights were grounded. Over 1,000 people spent the night in the building.

open image in gallery

A spokesperson told Reuters that the airport had faced an “exceptional situation”. Passengers were provided with pillows, blankets, food and drink. Authorities urged citizens to work from home and refrain from travelling with schools shut across the country.

Dutch airline KLM warned it was close to running out of glycol, a de-icing fluid, after freezing weather conditions lasted days.

open image in gallery

More than 100 flights were cancelled at Charles de Gaulle airport in Paris, with surrounding airports also affected. France’s civil aviation authority asked airlines to cut 40 per cent of scheduled flights. Flight Radar estimates that over 3,200 journeys have been affected overall.

All public buses were suspended across Paris on Wednesday, with France's transport minister Philippe Tabarot “hoping the situation returns to normal this afternoon”. The Météo France service said that the conditions were of a “rare intensity for the season”.

open image in gallery

Around 40 flights were cancelled at Brussels airport, with a spokesperson saying: “Due to de-icing of aircraft and de-icing and snow clearance of runways and taxiways during the snowfall, we expect flight delays during the entire day.”

Serbia warned drivers to be very careful when travelling as many set off toward skiing resorts or elsewhere for Orthodox Christmas on Wednesday and the upcoming weekend.