Belgium
The weather forecast for Sunday. — © KMI
We’ll wake up to widespread frost on Sunday, with a disturbance from the west bringing 1 to 3 cm of snow. The disturbance will then turn into rain with a chance of sleet.
In West and East Flanders, due to the freezing temperatures and local showers of rain or snow, extra attention must be paid to ice spots. There, code yellow applies all day for slippery conditions, the RMI reports. In Antwerp and Flemish Brabant this is from 11 am, in Limburg from 2 pm. Due to the freezing cold and the predicted precipitation, the Flemish Roads and Traffic Agency also warns people who go on the road of locally slippery roads and cycle paths.
The maximum temperatures on Sunday will fluctuate between 0 and -2 degrees in the Ardennes, and around 0 or 1 degree elsewhere. On Sunday evening and night, the (winter) precipitation will move to the northeast, making it temporarily drier again. It remains fairly cloudy with lows of -3 degrees in the Ardennes to 1 degrees in the west of the country.
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On Monday, a new zone with sometimes winter precipitation from France will quickly enter our country. The rain may again be preceded by snow or sleet, especially in the morning. Temperatures will slowly rise to 2 degrees in the High Fens, and 6 degrees in regions close to France by the end of the day.
On Tuesday, heavily cloudy weather with precipitation is planned. This can still be winter precipitation, especially in the Ardennes. The maximum temperatures are between 2 degrees in the High Fens and 7 degrees near the sea.
A few (winter) showers will pass over the country on Wednesday, with maximum temperatures between 2 degrees in the high Ardennes and 7 degrees in Flanders. At night it will become colder again with widespread frost.
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© KMI
The Netherlands
Today, code yellow applies throughout the country to our northern neighbors due to slippery conditions due to snowfall. Road users in North and South Holland are advised to only use the road if there is absolutely no other option. The KNMI issued code orange for the two provinces on Saturday due to large-scale slippery conditions due to icy conditions. After all, rain can immediately freeze on the cold road surface. Road users also have to be careful in Utrecht, Zeeland, Flevoland, Friesland and Groningen. According to the traffic service, icy conditions are very difficult to combat with salt. “The winter precipitation dilutes the salt that is already on the road. In addition, the precipitation freezes as soon as it hits the cold road surface and forms an ice layer on top of the salt.”
Germany
People in the south of Germany were also advised to stay at home. In some parts of southern Bavaria, driving with snow chains or four-wheel drive is even risky. According to the news site DerWesten, a spokesperson for the Bavarian Red Cross joined the police’s call to only go on the road in absolutely necessary cases. Anyone who gets into trouble along the way has to wait a long time for assistance.
On Saturday there were miles of traffic jams and many accidents occurred, fortunately in most places only causing damage to the bodywork. However, a 54-year-old motorist was killed on a slippery highway in Baden-Württemberg after losing control of his car.
The German railways foresee difficulties in the south of the country due to the harsh winter weather, with more than half a meter of snow in many places. The inconvenience to travelers also remains significant at the airports of Munich and Frankfurt. No planes can land or take off in Munich for the time being. Thousands of households in the region are without power because fallen trees have destroyed overhead lines.
The Zugspitze area, a ski area on the border with Austria, had to be closed just one day after the opening of the season. Access roads are closed, lifts are shut down and there is an acute avalanche risk.
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No planes could land or take off in Munich. — © REUTERS
Austria
Also on the other side of the border, in Austria, several highways were completely closed and many vehicles were blocked on slopes due to the heavy snowfall. One death has also occurred in that country as a result of the winter weather. According to local media, a 57-year-old man from Bad Traunstein froze to death after his car fell into a ditch between Kleinöttfritz and Spielberg on the way home. He decided to continue his journey on foot. After a search, his lifeless body was found a short distance away. Less snow is now expected in Tyrol and other areas in the north of Austria, but it will freeze harder, with temperatures below -20 degrees.
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© AFP
The avalanche warning level was also raised to 3 in Tyrol. “Snow is nothing unusual in Tyrol,” says Elmar Rizzoli of the Center for Crisis and Disaster Management. “Still, it is important to be careful, especially in traffic, and adapt your speed to the conditions.” Several accidents occurred due to the conditions.
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© AP
Train traffic in Switzerland is also experiencing problems due to the heavy snow. In the south of Poland, temperatures drop well below 0 and the authorities warn residents of thick layers of snow. Only within a week would temperatures rise above freezing again. Winter weather has also struck large parts of Eastern Europe, including Ukraine and Moldova. In Bulgaria, the government even declared a state of emergency in several places.
© AP