The snowstorm paralyzes France: flights cancelled, 1,600 km of traffic jams and cities without buses

ParisThe cold and snowy storm affecting much of Europe is causing serious problems in France this Wednesday, where flights, trains, and buses have been canceled, and traffic jams stretch for kilometers. In the Paris region alone, by mid-morning there were 950 kilometers of traffic jams on the roads, where the snow made driving extremely difficult. Across the country, traffic jams totaled more than 1,600 kilometers, a record-breaking figure. A total of 32 French departments remain on orange alert due to the storm. Up to 15 cm of snow is expected in the Ardennes, in the north of the country. The government has tried to prevent chaos on the highways by banning trucks and limiting the speed on all roads to 70 km/h, but numerous accidents caused by snow and especially ice have forced the closure of the A8 motorway in the southeast of the country and secondary roads. Transport Minister Philippe Tabarot had urged people to avoid travel on Tuesday. "The situation in France is complicated today. The predicted snowfall appears to be confirmed," Tabarot told CNews on Wednesday. During the first day of the storm, Monday, at least five people died in traffic accidents.

The snow has also caused chaos at French airports. While six secondary airports had to close on Tuesday, on Wednesday the main problems were concentrated at Paris's main airport, Charles de Gaulle, which anticipates at least 40% of flights will be canceled. By mid-morning, around 100 flights had already been suspended. Forty flights were also canceled at Paris-Orly airport.

No buses or school transport

In the Paris region, where snow has been falling since early morning, bus and school transport services have been suspended, and the RER regional trains are experiencing delays. High-speed lines are also experiencing delays. In other French cities, such as Lille, city buses are not running this Wednesday either.

The snow has caused major mobility problems, but it has also created beautiful Christmas scenes. Some Parisians have even taken their skis out into the streets. It's the other side of the coin of a storm that will continue for a few more days. However, it is expected to weaken starting Wednesday night, and a return to normal is anticipated from Thursday.

Problems at Amsterdam airport

In other European countries such as the Netherlands and Belgium, the cold and snowy weather has also brought transportation to a standstill. At Amsterdam-Schiphol Airport, one of the largest in Europe, 800 flights were canceled on Wednesday. Since Monday, the Dutch airport has been forced to cancel flights to clear snow from the runways. In Belgium, the snow caused traffic jams of more than 300 kilometers on Wednesday, especially in Flanders, and Brussels Airport canceled around 40 flights. Some bus and tram lines were also suspended in the Belgian capital.