Icy weather brings travel chaos to Germany, grounds Frankfurt flights
Freezing rain, heavy snowfall and black ice caused chaos in parts of Germany on Wednesday, forcing numerous travel disruptions including the temporary halting of air traffic at Frankfurt Airport.
The winter weather particularly affected parts of southern and central Germany, with school in parts of the country cancelled due to icy conditions.
The German Weather Service (DWD) warned of an extreme risk of black ice in the south-west and widespread black ice in the southern half of the country on Wednesday, urging people not to drive and remain at home.
Heavy snowfall was forecast for the west and centre of Germany.
At Frankfurt Airport, Germany's busiest aviation hub, officials halted take-offs for several hours in the afternoon because of difficulty in safely de-icing aircraft. Some limited departures resumed late on Wednesday afternoon.
Landings were also briefly halted at Frankfurt Airport because of limited parking space for grounded aircraft, according to a spokesman for airport operator Fraport.
Hundreds of flights at the busy airport were cancelled due to the weather. Passengers travelling to Frankfurt or Munich were asked to check their flight status regularly.
Meteorologists with the DWD expected the storm to ease by Thursday at the latest: "By the weekend, we can then look forward to cold winter weather with sunshine."
National rail operator Deutsche Bahn reported delays and some cancellations as high-speed trains were slowed because of the weather, and local transit service in parts of the country was restricted or halted.
Authorities reported numerous accidents on motorways, and a 34-year-old man was killed in western Germany when he lost control of his car on an icy road and crashed into a tree.
The winter storm also hit neighbouring Luxembourg and France's regions of Alsace and Lorraine along the border with Germany.
According to the DWD, the reason for the storm was a sharp air mass boundary over central Germany, separating cold air in the north from very mild sea air in the south.
Freezing rain was forecast to change into snow later on Wednesday and overnight, according to the DWD.
Meteorologists pointed to a positive side of the winter storm, as the mountains were coated with the best snowfall of the year.
In northern and central Germany, "the sun will increasingly prevail and we can look forward to the best skiing and tobogganing weather in the Central Uplands," the DWD said.
