In the wake of a winter storm blanketing southern Germany, Austria, Switzerland, and the Czech Republic with snow, Munich’s airport took a drastic step by grounding all flights. The weather conditions have caused significant disruptions to travel in the region.
Initially, the airport declared a suspension of air traffic until noon on Saturday, later extending the cancellation of flights until 6 a.m. on Sunday. Other airports in the affected areas, including Zurich, reported weather-related delays and cancellations.
Munich’s central station witnessed a halt in train services, with Germany’s national railway advising passengers to consider delaying or rerouting their journeys. Stranded passengers faced an unexpected night on trains in Munich and nearby Ulm due to the weather-related halt.
Local transit services in Munich, including buses and trams, remained non-operational. The severe weather conditions also impacted subway and regional train lines.
The heavy snowfall resulted in downed trees, leaving thousands without power in Bavaria, as reported by the utility company Bayernwerk. The adverse weather conditions forced the cancellation of a Bundesliga soccer match between Bayern Munich and Union Berlin.
In Austria and Switzerland, the fresh snowfall raised concerns about avalanche risks. Tyrol and Vorarlberg provinces in Austria increased avalanche warnings to the second-highest level following substantial overnight snowfall.
Austrian railway company OeBB announced closures of various routes across the country due to the storm. In the Czech Republic, major highways and roads faced closures, and over 15,000 households experienced power outages.
The D1 highway linking Prague with Brno was at a standstill for hours due to an accident, causing a 20-kilometer line of trucks. High-speed and regional trains were affected in the southern part of the Czech Republic due to the non-operation of cross-border trains from Austria and Germany.
By AFP
