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Evening Standard
Evening Standard
World
Megan Howe

Thousands stranded in Paris and Amsterdam and multiple deaths as Arctic blast sweeps Europe

Six people have been killed and thousands have been stranded at airports as an Arctic blast sweeps across Europe.

Freezing temperatures and severe wintry weather conditions have caused widespread disruption across the continent this week.

Five people died in two separate regions in France as a result of treacherous driving conditions, authorities said, while one woman died ‍in the Bosnian capital of Sarajevo on Monday after a tree ‌overburdened with wet snow fell on her.

Disruption has continued on Wednesday as Storm Goretti hits the Atlantic coast.

People walk in the Jardin des Tuileries gardens after heavy snowfalls in central Paris (AFP via Getty Images)

Around 100 flights were cancelled at Paris’ Charles de Gaulle airport on Wednesday morning because of snowfall and another 40 at the French capital’s Orly airport, France's transport minister Philippe Tabarot said.

Public bus services have also been suspended on Wednesday, although the majority of metro and rail services are still running, transport officials said.

Mr Tabarot told France’s CNews that he was “hoping the situation returns to normal this afternoon”.

Meanwhile, authorities in the Netherlands told people to plan to stay at home if at all possible, as a fresh blizzard was expected to arrive overnight.

A truck queue to access the A10 motorway at the toll plaza near Saintes, western France (AFP via Getty Images)

Around 700 flights were cancelled on Wednesday due to snow and wind, while over 1,000 people spent the night at Schiphol airport, setting up camp beds as they waited for flights.

Simiao Sun, who was left stranded at Schiphol, said she feared she would spend her 40th birthday in ‍transit. She had been told she would have to wait three days ⁠for a rescheduled flight to Britain where she lives.

"My child would miss school and we would both miss work, so I'm queuing here...hoping to get a slightly earlier flight."

There have been warnings of more snow across the UK (PA Wire)

At least 40 flights have been cancelled at Brussels Airport on Wednesday with delays expected throughout the day.

“Due to de-icing of aircraft and de-icing and snow clearance of runways and taxiways during the snowfall, we expect flight delays during the entire day,” the airport said in a statement.

In the UK, a yellow snow warning has been issued for a large part of England and much of Wales, and will be in place from 6pm on Thursday until midday on Friday.

The Met Office said this might lead to heavy snow which will cause disruption and difficult travelling conditions.

Commuters have been hit by treacherous icy conditions in London.

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