Ski slopes in Belgium and Germany opened early after as much as 30cm of snow fell overnight in some countries, while in Paris, the Eiffel Tower closed to the public for four hours after a morning snowfall made it too slippery to climb.
The winter storm hit hard in The Netherlands, where high winds and sudden freezing temperatures caused havoc on the national rail and road networks. Hundreds of stranded Dutch commuters spent Friday night in temporary Red Cross shelters at train stations, theatres and more than a dozen other locations.
Road-traffic officials reported the worst gridlock in the country’s history, with hundreds more people sleeping in their cars after waiting up to 10 hours alongside highways. Elsewhere, tens of thousands were still without electricity on Saturday after ice and snow snapped power lines.
Dutch traffic authorities warned drivers to stay off the roads as up to 3cm of snow fell per hour. Roads and railways were also blocked by fallen trees and bus companies cancelled services as winds of up to 170kph swept in off the North Sea.
The winter storm was caused by a low pressure zone over Western Europe, which brought the most sudden drop
in air pressure in decades, the National Weather Institute said. The worst had passed by Saturday afternoon, but warnings were issued for continuing ice and snow and slippery road conditions on Saturday night.
Problems due to the sudden cold weather were also reported in Britain, Germany, Belgium, France, Switzerland, Italy and Greece.
Deaths were reported in Belgium and the Czech Republic.
In the western French seaside area of Vendee, just south of Brittany, the storm dumped up to 30cm of snow and left about 17 000 homes without electricity. Power was restored to about half the homes by Saturday afternoon, electrical utility EDF said. Cold-weather alerts were issued in 37 departments, or districts, across France, with drivers urged to stay off the roads until the snow subsided.