Thousands of air and rail passengers were left stranded and road traffic was paralysed across Europe today after a cold snap brought heavy snow and bitterly cold temperatures from London to Moscow.
Snow drifts and ice caused the cancellation of many flights at Britain's Heathrow, the world's busiest airport.
In Belgium, heavy snowfall forced most flights to be delayed or cancelled at Brussels international airport as crews worked to remove ice from planes and runways. More flights might be disrupted if the weather did not improve, a spokesman said.
Flights destined for Brussels were also being cancelled due to similar conditions at other European airports, he said. In Frankfurt, at least 20 flights were cancelled and dozens more were delayed due to snow.
Heavy snowfall across the central region of Tuscany cut Italy in two on Thursday.
Thousands of drivers shivered in their stationary cars and police closed the motorway between Bologna and Florence, handing out blankets and warm drinks to stranded motorists.
Further north in the Italian Alps, the mercury dropped to -35 degrees Celsius. And on the island of Sardinia, usually a sun-drenched tourist hot spot, electricity lines came down under the weight of ice.
In Britain, snowfall ranging from two to 28 cm blanketed most of the country on yesterday, and temperatures dropped to minus 5C overnight.
Morning rail commuters into Paris experienced delays of several hours in some cases, but air traffic out of Paris airports was barely affected.
In Moscow, where ice-coated foot paths have been made treacherous by weeks of sub-zero temperatures and sleet, prosecutors ordered an investigation into snow removal services after a sharp increase in injuries to pedestrians.