Snowstorm causes chaos across UK and Germany, flights cancelled

The met office warns that snow and sleet will continue moving northward, impacting England and Scotland.

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Heavy snow and freezing rain caused widespread disruption across Europe on Sunday, particularly affecting the UK and Germany, as several major airports were forced to suspend flights.

In the UK, the inclement weather raised concerns about rural communities, especially in northern England, which risked being cut off due to up to 40 centimeters of snow forecasted at higher altitudes.

The National Grid, overseeing the UK's electricity network, worked to restore power after outages were reported in areas including Birmingham, Bristol, and Cardiff.

Airports were severely impacted, with Liverpool's John Lennon Airport and Manchester Airport temporarily closing runways before reopening by late Sunday morning. Leeds Bradford Airport, however, remained closed.

Road networks were also affected, as authorities preemptively closed roads due to the harsh conditions, while stranded vehicles and accidents caused additional delays.

National Rail cancelled several services, warning of continued disruption into the working week. The met office warned that snow and sleet would continue to push northward, affecting northern England and southern Scotland.

Following freezing rain, southern parts of the country were expected to see milder conditions. The UK Environment Agency issued eight flood warnings across southern England due to rising river levels.

In Germany, heavy snow and ice also caused chaos, with authorities issuing black ice warnings for drivers and pedestrians.

Frankfurt Airport canceled 120 flights, while Munich Airport operated with only one runway open. In Baden-Wuerttemberg, a bus accident injured eight people. Long-distance train services in Frankfurt also faced disruptions.

Amsterdam’s Schiphol Airport experienced delays as well, with at least 70 flights canceled due to snow, though operations were expected to return to normal by midday.