Heavy snowfall hits UK and most of Europe

Image: A television cameraman films an aircraft on the tarmac of Cointrin airport in Geneva
Photographs: Denis Balibouse/Reuters

Unusual early winter heavy snowfall hit UK and most of Europe have forced closure of number of key airports besides disrupting rail services and cutting international Eurostar services.

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UK, Europe paralysed by heavy snowfall

Image: A lorry transports snow at Cointrin airport in Geneva
Photographs: Denis Balibouse/Reuters

London's City and Gatwick airport, Europe's eighth biggest air hub were closed as staff worked to clear the run way of snow.

UK, Europe paralysed by heavy snowfall

Image: A motorist drives through heavy snow in Manchester
Photographs: Phil Noble/Reuters

Edinburgh airport, Scotland's main gateway was also shutdown as the entire region witnessed heavy snowfall.

UK, Europe paralysed by heavy snowfall

Image: A beggar sits in the snow in Edinburgh
Photographs: David Moir/Reuters

Eurostar, which operates high speed passenger train linking London with Paris and Brussels said services were delayed due to poor visibility and heavy snowfall.

UK, Europe paralysed by heavy snowfall

Image: A snowman sits on Calton Hill in Edinburgh, Scotland
Photographs: David Moir/Reuters

A spokesman said two trains between London and Brussels and four between Paris and London were scrapped and more cancellations were likely.

UK, Europe paralysed by heavy snowfall

Image: A man clears the snow away from the front of a business centre in Warsaw

Across the country, train services to major cities like Liverpool and Sheffield were unable to run and London underground trains were also running with heavy delays.

UK, Europe paralysed by heavy snowfall

Image: David Morran clears snow off his car as he trys to free it out of the driveway of his home in Braco, Scotland
Photographs: David Moir /Reuters

Key motorways linking London with other major cities in the UK were blocked. An overnight low of minus 19.8 degrees Celsius was recorded in Altnaharra in the Scottish islands, while temperatures also remained below freezing in most of the other British towns.

UK, Europe paralysed by heavy snowfall

Image: Men clear the snow away from a street in Warsaw
Photographs: Kacper Pempel/Reuters

News reports said that eight men have frozen to death after a bitter cold front hit Poland, with temperatures falling to around -20 Celsius in the country.

UK, Europe paralysed by heavy snowfall

Image: Passengers push a bus during heavy snowfall in Lublin, eastern Poland
Photographs: Iwona Burdzanowska/Agencja Gazeta/Reuters

Snow and bitter cold suddenly struck Poland in recent days, disrupting rail travel and causing problems for drivers.

UK, Europe paralysed by heavy snowfall

Image: A woman walks towards the snow-covered Royal Park in front of The Royal Palace in Brussels
Photographs: Yves Herman/Reuters

Heavy snow and freezing temperatures closed forced major European airports to shut down including Geneva, Zurich, Rome and Berlin's Tegel.

UK, Europe paralysed by heavy snowfall

Image: Snow falls in front of Switzerland's federal parliament building in Bern
Photographs: Pascal Lauener /Reuters

Severe delays were seen at most of the German, Spanish, Danish and Italian airports.

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