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Europe snowed under
Tuesday December 22, 2009 - Email this article to a friend
With travel problems that is. The bad weather across the continent is continuing to cause severe problems. People getting to or from ski resorts are having a hard time of it. Dozens of people are also reported to have died from the cold.
Further snowfall in the UK has disrupted flights and of course the Channel Tunnel was out of action though it isnow offering a service after tests.
Euro Tunnel has resumed services after closing the service for 3 days leaving tens of thousands of people severely inconvenienced.
See here for the problems last weekend when 4 trains broke down in the tunnel because the severe cold weather caused electrical faults in the trains.
Other rail serices in Europe unaffectedOther rail services across Europe are largely running normally.
One person we spoke to in a bar in Switzerland on Monday night had a nightmare journey; to say the least.
He was due to take the train on Saturday and arrive at 10pm in resort. He eventualy got to his destination at 2.30 am on Monday having decided to fly from Bournemouth via Zurich as the train service was cancelled.
The airline EasyJet said some of its flights were disrupted as Inverness and Bristol were closed and there were also delays at Gatwick.
It advises anyone trying to travel to the Alps to check if their flight is still on, and not just turn up at the airport.
"As a result of significant snowfall across the UK and parts of Europe, "EasyJet, like many airlines, is experiencing continued disruption today," a spokesman says.
Belgium was forced to close its 3 biggest airports and Charles de Gaulle airport near Paris was also badly affected.
However, the cold weather across Europe has done more than just disrupt people's travel plans.
29 people have died in Poland as the temperature dropped to -20c in many places. Most of the dead were homeless people who froze to death.
2 people are reported to have died in Austria after a night out. It is believed they collapsed after drinking too much and then died of hypothermia.
One of PlanetSKI's reporters is travelling back to the UK on Tuesday and he'll let us know what it is like flying out of Geneva.
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