http://www.guardian.co.uk/print/0,3858,5363593-103636,00.html
2.15pm update
Travellers face chaos as freeze hits Europe
James Sturcke and agencies
Wednesday December 28, 2005
Guardian Unlimited
Freezing conditions across parts of northern Europe caused travel chaos today as forecasters warned that more snow and colder temperatures were expected over the next two days.
British motoring organisations urged people only to make essential journeys, while hundreds of drivers in France spent the night in their cars after 30cm of snow fell in parts the country.
In Austria, a blizzard resulted in power cuts to homes and was blamed for numerous road accidents across eastern parts of the country.
In the UK, Kent and eastern England suffered the worst of the freezing conditions, which brought road closures and train cancellations.
The coldest place in Britain last night was Benson, Oxfordshire, where temperatures plunged to -8.2C. Forecasters said temperatures were likely to drop further tonight.
"Temperatures tonight could fall as low as -10C where snow lies on the ground, and they could be down to -7C in other places," PA WeatherCentre spokesman Paul Knightley said.
"Tomorrow looks like being the coldest day of this cold spell, with daytime temperatures not rising above freezing in many places."
He said there would be snow today from north-east Scotland down the eastern side of England to the Wash, with snow showers in Kent.
"There could be some heavy snow in northern England and Scotland ahead of another weather system which will bring rain and higher temperatures on Friday and Saturday," Mr Knightley added.
The RAC said lanes on sections of the M20 in Kent were closed because of the snow, and that there was also disruption on the A20 between Dover and Folkestone.
Canterbury was hit by severe black ice, while part of the A3 at Milford, Surrey, was closed, as was a section of the A14 in Cambridgeshire.
"There are hazardous driving conditions throughout northern and eastern counties of England," an RAC spokesman said.
South Eastern Trains urged passengers from coastal areas in Kent and East Sussex not to travel at all this morning. No train services were running from Hastings to Tonbridge, Dover to Folkestone, Ashford to Swanley, Tonbridge to Redhill or Strood to Maidstone West.
Passengers using Arriva Trains Wales and Central Trains faced long delays after a road vehicle hit a railway bridge in the Oakengates area between Wolverhampton and Shrewsbury.
Signalling problems at Tulse Hill, south London, led to delays for passengers on Southern and Thameslink services.
In France, hundreds of motorists were stranded overnight after heavy snowfall blocked roads, forcing some to abandon their cars and others to sleep in their vehicles.
Scores of travellers spent the night in community centres and hotels near Nancy, where road crews worked to clear up to 30cm of snow, according to the Regional Road Information and Coordination Centre in nearby Metz.
Several cars were abandoned on the A31 highway, which remained heavily congested heading north toward Luxembourg. Officials ordered trucks to remain parked in rest areas until normal traffic flow was restored, and advised drivers not to travel.
Hundreds of people were stranded overnight in the Calvados region in western Normandy, where the A84 highway was closed in both directions.
"There were 600 vehicles blocked, which amounts to around 600 or 800 people [stranded]," road security official Remi Fromont told the French television channel LCI.
In Austria, at least 15cm of snow fell in eastern areas, creating treacherous conditions blamed for numerous road accidents.
Authorities said at least 11 trucks had jack-knifed in the province of Lower Austria, causing long tailbacks, and at least 300 homes were without power.
Four trucks collided on the motorway linking the Czech capital, Prague, with the southern city of Brno, blocking traffic, while officials in Slovakia warned of a heightened avalanche risk in some areas.
Heavy snow and icy rain in Croatia forced officials to close local roads, effectively cutting off access to dozens of central villages. Snow also created traffic and rail havoc in Hungary, where nearly 120 trains were running behind schedule.
Most of northern Italy was under a blanket of snow, causing traffic disruption, and a motorway from Parma to La Spezia was closed as a precaution.