Winter storms and snow plunge Germany into travel chaos
Heavy snowfall across Germany has caused several road accidents as the country's busiest airport was paralysed by extreme weather conditions.
As the first winter freeze sets in a few days before December, snow and black ice are continuing to cause travel disruptions and accidents in Germany.
Amid icy temperatures and snowfall, the German Weather Service (DWD) issued an official weather warning for most of Germany that will last through Wednesday. Drivers are also urged to take care on the roads as the wintery conditions are expected to last for another week at least.
In North-Rhine Westphalia, commuters were hit by delays as the police issued a snow warning on the Autobahn 2 near Bielefeld. Drivers in the main motorways in the state were stuck in traffic, with reports of over 150km of traffic jams on Wednesday morning.
In Berlin and Brandenburg, numerous S-Bahn services were disrupted on Tuesday, including stretches of the track between Grunau and BER Airport, due to the snow.
A person walks their dog int he snow in Potsdam. Photo: picture alliance/dpa | Georg Moritz
Two pile-ups occurred in Bavaria on Tuesday evening due to cars slipping on black ice. According to the police, at least eight people were injured, two of them seriously.
READ ALSO: Germany set for wintery temperatures and fresh snowfall
A 35-year-old driver lost control on a snow-covered road near Heilsbronn in Frankonia and collided with four cars. Shortly afterwards, there was a collision involving 10 cars on a bridge near Gunzenhausen, near Nuremberg.
In Leipzig in Saxony, four cars and an ambulance slid into each other on a slippery road on Tuesday evening.
According to the police, five people were mildly injured. According to initial information, the ambulance was travelling with its blue lights switched on. One car swerved as it braked and collided with other cars.
In Hesse, meanwhile, drivers had to navigate numerous road closures due to snow at the beginning of the week, though the situation had eased slightly on Wednesday.
"It has normalised, everywhere has been and is being gritted. But it's still going to be slippery, so we'll see what happens," said a spokeswoman for the West Hesse police headquarters.
Frankfurt Airport - Germany's busiest travel hub - also came to a standstill on Tuesday as numerous flights were cancelled due to the harsh weather conditions.
More snowfall expected
If drivers are hoping for some respite from the icy conditions, it isn't likely to come just yet, as weather experts say the weekend will bring with it a fresh batch of snowfall in most regions of the country.
According to a meteorologist from DWD, wintery conditions will continue in the coming days with regional snowfall.
"But the heaviest amounts will come at the weekend," they said.
As next week approaches, temperatures will drop yet again and permafrost is likely, making road conditions once again perilous for motorists and cyclists.
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As the first winter freeze sets in a few days before December, snow and black ice are continuing to cause travel disruptions and accidents in Germany.
Amid icy temperatures and snowfall, the German Weather Service (DWD) issued an official weather warning for most of Germany that will last through Wednesday. Drivers are also urged to take care on the roads as the wintery conditions are expected to last for another week at least.
In North-Rhine Westphalia, commuters were hit by delays as the police issued a snow warning on the Autobahn 2 near Bielefeld. Drivers in the main motorways in the state were stuck in traffic, with reports of over 150km of traffic jams on Wednesday morning.
In Berlin and Brandenburg, numerous S-Bahn services were disrupted on Tuesday, including stretches of the track between Grunau and BER Airport, due to the snow.
Two pile-ups occurred in Bavaria on Tuesday evening due to cars slipping on black ice. According to the police, at least eight people were injured, two of them seriously.
READ ALSO: Germany set for wintery temperatures and fresh snowfall
A 35-year-old driver lost control on a snow-covered road near Heilsbronn in Frankonia and collided with four cars. Shortly afterwards, there was a collision involving 10 cars on a bridge near Gunzenhausen, near Nuremberg.
In Leipzig in Saxony, four cars and an ambulance slid into each other on a slippery road on Tuesday evening.
According to the police, five people were mildly injured. According to initial information, the ambulance was travelling with its blue lights switched on. One car swerved as it braked and collided with other cars.
In Hesse, meanwhile, drivers had to navigate numerous road closures due to snow at the beginning of the week, though the situation had eased slightly on Wednesday.
"It has normalised, everywhere has been and is being gritted. But it's still going to be slippery, so we'll see what happens," said a spokeswoman for the West Hesse police headquarters.
Frankfurt Airport - Germany's busiest travel hub - also came to a standstill on Tuesday as numerous flights were cancelled due to the harsh weather conditions.
More snowfall expected
If drivers are hoping for some respite from the icy conditions, it isn't likely to come just yet, as weather experts say the weekend will bring with it a fresh batch of snowfall in most regions of the country.
According to a meteorologist from DWD, wintery conditions will continue in the coming days with regional snowfall.
"But the heaviest amounts will come at the weekend," they said.
As next week approaches, temperatures will drop yet again and permafrost is likely, making road conditions once again perilous for motorists and cyclists.
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