Two people have died and 20 others have been injured from a cold snap bringing snow and ice across France and Northern Europe.
One of those killed slipped on a pavement and violently banged their head, authorities from the Nord region said in a statement. The other person had no fixed address and was found dead in the town of Valenciennes, the statement said.
The icy weather first hit Wednesday. The statement said rescue services have been called out to deal with traffic accidents, people falling in the snow and ice, flooding and other emergencies.
Snow and ice were also causing havoc in Germany, where a bout of wintry 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 canceled 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.
In Baden-Wuerttemberg, eight people were injured when a bus skidded off the road near the town of Hemmingen. Long-distance train connections also experienced irregularities in the Frankfurt area.
Across the English Channel, weather warnings were in force across the U.K., where temperatures were expected to plummet to -16 degrees Celsius (3.2 degrees Fahrenheit) in some places later on Thursday.
Yellow weather warnings for ice have been issued for large parts of the UK on Thursday and Friday as poor weather brings travel disruption and school closures.
The majority of Wales and Northern Ireland, as well as large parts of the east of England, are covered from 4pm on Thursday until 10am on Friday.
A separate warning covering south and west Wales down to Plymouth from 3am to 11am tomorrow is also in place.
The Met Office has warned to expect icy patches on untreated roads, pavements and cycle paths, as well as scattered wintry showers.
Manchester Airport closed both its runways on Thursday morning “due to significant levels of snow” but they were later reopened.
The airport warned that some flights may be delayed, and advised passengers to check with their airline for the latest information.
At least 14 departures and five arrivals scheduled to operate at the airport on Thursday have been cancelled.
Hundreds of schools in Scotland and around 90 in Wales were shut on Thursday.
Source: independent.co.uk