8 Jan 2010

Europe still freezing

6:41 am on 8 January 2010

Icy weather continues in Europe, disrupting flights at airports in Britain, France, the Irish Republic and the Netherlands.

Many flights were delayed or cancelled at Orly airport in Paris, Dublin airport and Amsterdam-Schiphol, as well as major UK airports.

A Eurostar train was stuck for about two hours in the Channel Tunnel on Thursday. It later reached the UK. The BBC reports four other Eurostar trains were cancelled.

Last month the Eurostar service was suspended for three days after several trains broke down in the tunnel. Powdery snow getting into the engines was identified as the cause.

Deutsche Welle reports temperatures were below -10C in many parts of Germany on Thursday.

Grit supplies for clearing snow are running very low in many parts of the country.

The Irish Times reports hundreds of schools in the Irish Republic are closed.

Radio Netherlands reports heavy snow caused big traffic jams around Amsterdam and Haarlem on Wednesday evening. Few buses were running.

Icy roads have disrupted road freight deliveries to France's Channel ports. Snow covers a large part of France, reaching as far south as Bordeaux.

The winter death toll in Poland has reached 122 - most of the victims are reportedly homeless people.

In Germany, at least nine homeless men froze to death.