Heavy snow and freezing rain brought widespread disruption across Europe on Sunday, particularly in the UK and Germany, with several major airports forced to suspend flights.
With the weather set to stay inclement on Sunday in the UK, there are concerns that many rural communities, particularly in the north of England, could be cut off.
Up to 40 centimetres of snow on ground above 300 metres is forecasted.
Blackpool, in the north of England saw a lot of snow fall. (Michael Holmes/PA via AP)
The National Grid, which oversees the UK’s electricity network, said it had been working to restore power after outages across the country.
The company’s live map shows power cuts in Birmingham in central England, Bristol in the west and Cardiff in Wales.
The iconic Angel of the North sculpture is surrounded by heavy snow in Gateshead. (AP Photo: Scott Heppell)
Liverpool’s John Lennon Airport and Manchester Airport had to close runways, but both reopened by late Sunday morning local time.
Leeds Bradford Airport, however, said it had closed its runway on Sunday morning.
Manchester Airport had to close runways due to the snow. (Reuters: Phil Noble)
The road network was heavily impacted too, on what would have been a very busy day with many families returning home from the Christmas and New Year break and students heading back to universities.
Many roads had been pre-emptively closed by local authorities but stranded vehicles and collisions have caused disruption elsewhere.
Many roads had been pre-emptively closed by local authorities in England. (Danny Lawson/PA via AP)
On the railways, many services were cancelled, with the UK’s National Rail warning of disruption continuing into the working week.
The UK’s main weather forecaster, the Met Office, said sleet and snow would continue to push north on Sunday and would be heaviest in northern England and into southern Scotland.
After experiencing freezing rain, which occurs when super cold rain freezes on impact, the south will turn milder.
The UK Environment Agency has also issued eight flood warnings across southern England on the River Taw and River Avon.
Some people in north England have made the most of the snow. (AP Photo: Scott Heppell)
Heavy snow across Europe
Snow and ice were also causing havoc in Germany, where a bout of winter weather is spreading from the south-west.
German authorities have issued black ice warnings for drivers and pedestrians, advising people to stay home where possible.
Frankfurt airport cancelled 120 of its 1,090 planned take-offs and landings on Sunday, according to German transport company Fraport’s press office.
At Munich airport, only one runway was open while the other was being cleared.
In Baden-Wuerttemberg eight people were injured when a bus skidded off the road near the town of Hemmingen.
People walk through the snow-covered Thuringian Forest in Germany. (Michael Reichel/dpa via AP)
Long-distance train connections also experienced irregularities in the Frankfurt area.
At least 70 flights have been cancelled and several others delayed at Amsterdam’s Schiphol Airport due to snowy weather, a spokesperson said on Sunday.
He said workers started clearing snow at the airport early Sunday morning and that Schiphol was expected to be operational again around midday. However, there might still be delays.
Heavy snowfall in the US
Meanwhile, a blast of snow, ice, wind and plunging temperatures stirred up dangerous travel conditions in parts of the central US on Sunday.
A resident walks their dog as heavy snow falls in St. Louis.
(AP: Jeff Roberson)
A disruptive winter storm brought the possibility of the “heaviest snowfall in a decade” to some areas.
Snow and ice blanketed major roadways in nearly all of Kansas, western Nebraska and parts of Indiana, where the state’s National Guard was activated to help motorists.
The warning extended to New Jersey for Monday and into early Tuesday.
A group of people jog in the distance during snowy weather in St. Louis. (AP Photo: Jeff Roberson)
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