CNN is reporting that major stretches of Northern Europe are being hit by snow, high winds and resultant ice today, which has impacted travel by land and air.
High-speed train operator Eurostar, which runs services linking Paris, Brussels and London, among other destinations, warned of "serious disruption." Notably, the severe weather is affecting Northern France and Belgium, and sections of the high-speed lines were closed. About 10,000 passengers are likely to be affected as a result of the cancellation of around 24 out of 27 scheduled trains Tuesday. The bad weather may also affect services Wednesday, with further cancellations or extended journey times. Passengers affected by the disruption will be offered exchanges or refunds, and are urged to consider traveling next week instead if possible.
Air Delays
Germany's Frankfurt airport, a major European hub, was forced to cancel all flights for several hours while workers cleared off its four runways, reportedly affecting about 200 flights.
Reuters, meanwhile, is reporting that a Tunisair plane slid off the runway on landing at Paris' Orly airport, forcing the closure of a runway while 140 passengers were evacuated. France's civil aviation authority canceled a quarter of flights at Paris Charles de Gaulle airport, the second-largest in Europe after London's Heathrow, and a fifth at Orly. Brussels airport reported extensive delays and some diversions of planes to Ostend or Amsterdam.
Around 80,000 homes in northeastern France were without electricity, according to the power network operator ERDF. French Prime Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault said French soldiers had been mobilized to help electricity grid workers restore power.