Inclement weather forces major airports to suspend flights in the UK and Germany
Heavy snow and freezing rain brought widespread disruption across Europe on Sunday, particularly in the U.K. and Germany, with several major airports forced to suspend flights.
With the weather set to stay inclement on Sunday in the U.K., there are concerns that many rural communities, particularly in the north of England, could be cut off, with up to 40 centimetres of snow on the ground above 300 meters.
The National Grid, which oversees the country’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.
Many sporting events have already been postponed, though the heavyweight Premier League fixture between rivals Liverpool and Manchester United is on, following an inspection at Liverpool’s home ground of Anfield and of local conditions.
Liverpool’s John Lennon Airport, Manchester Airport, and Leeds Bradford Airport were forced to close runways. Additionally, the road network was significantly impacted on what would have been a busy day, with many families returning from the Christmas and New Year break.
On the railways, many services were cancelled, with National Rail warning of disruption continuing into the working week.
Britain’s main weather forecaster, the Met Office, says sleet and snow will continue to push north on Sunday and will be heaviest in northern England and into southern Scotland. After experiencing freezing rain, which occurs when supercold rain freezes on impact, the South will turn milder.
The Environment Agency has also issued eight flood warnings across southern England on the River Taw and River Avon.
Snow and ice were also causing havoc in Germany, where a bout of winter weather is spreading from the southwest. 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 takeoffs and landings on Sunday, according to the Fraport press office. At Munich airport, only one runway was open while the other one was being cleared.
