Europe hit by Storm Goretti: Airlines cancel hundreds of flights
Western Europe is bracing for another wave of snow and ice as Storm Goretti, the first named storm of the year, hit the continent’s Atlantic coast on Wednesday.
The severe weather has caused flight cancellations, disrupted train services, and blocked roads across the region, News.Az reports, citing Reuters.
Heavy snowfall struck the Paris area early Wednesday, while southern Britain is expected to be hardest hit on Thursday and Friday.
Cold weather warnings cover large parts of both France and the UK. French weather agency Météo France predicted snow across the northern half of the country, while Britain’s Met Office said ice warnings would continue in Scotland but be lifted later in most of England and Wales.
In Paris, bus services were suspended, and shops prepared for New Year sales amid the snow. Travel chaos has intensified this week, with Dutch airline KLM canceling 600 flights at Amsterdam Schiphol on Wednesday, marking the sixth consecutive day of disruption at one of Europe’s busiest airports. KLM warned it is running low on de-icing fluid for aircraft, with delays in supplies complicating replenishment. Partner airline Air France reported no shortages in France. Schiphol airport, however, confirmed it has sufficient alternative de-icing fluid for runway operations.
France’s civil aviation authority instructed airlines to cut 40% of flights at Paris’ main Roissy-Charles de Gaulle airport and 25% at the smaller Orly airport.
In Brussels, some flights were canceled, and de-icing operations caused further delays.
Dutch authorities advised people to work from home if possible, while French officials banned trucks and school buses from roads in one-third of administrative departments, mostly in northern France.
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