Severe winter weather has resulted in significant disruptions across the UK, Germany, and the US, leading to the closure of airports, flight cancellations, and dangerous road conditions. Weather warnings have been issued for the affected areas by the authorities, appealing the travellers to be cautious as heavy snowfall and icy conditions persist.

Airport closed and flight delays in UK

Several UK airports have temporarily shut down their runways because of widespread snowfall and icy conditions over the weekend. As per the latest report by CNN, major hubs like Liverpool’s John Lennon Airport and Manchester Airport had to halt their operations on Sunday morning to clear accumulated snow. Although both airports managed to resume their operations, flight schedules continue to be affected.

Other airports that faced delays because of persistent snowfall were Birmingham and Newcastle International Airport and were shut down for long hours around midnight before restarting their services. In a social media post, Birmingham Airport has given assurance that their team had worked all through the night to reinstate normal flight schedules. Meanwhile, Bristol Airport in western England was also compelled to close down on Saturday because of intense weather conditions, reopening later in the evening, reported ANI.

The adverse weather conditions have an impact beyond air travel and have affected train and road transportation. Speed restrictions were levied by the UK’s National Rail because of icy conditions and lines were closed across Wales, England, and Scotland. Moreover, drivers were advised to be extra cautious as weather alerts were issued by the National Highways.

Germany also faced major travel disruptions because of intense snowfall, particularly at major airports. Around 120 flights were cancelled by Frankfurt Airport due to heavy snowfall on Sunday as crews were working to clear the runways and to reduce visibility. Munich Airport also experienced curbs as only one runway was operational while others have not received clearance. More than 750 flights were suspended on Sunday after several flights were cancelled on Saturday. Germany’s weather services have also warned that black ice can also occur and residents have been advised to avoid unnecessary travel plans.

Snowfall in US

In the United States, a powerful winter storm has resulted in snow, ice, and dangerously cold temperatures in parts of the Midwest and Central Plains, as reported by AP. A warning of record-breaking snowfall has been issued by the National Weather Service in some regions, terming it the ‘’heaviest snowfall in a decade’’ for some locations. Major highways were enveloped with snow and ice in parts of Indiana, Kansas, and western Nebraska. 

(With inputs from Agencies)