Severe winter weather brought widespread disruption across the United Kingdom, France and the Netherlands on Monday, as heavy snow, ice and plunging temperatures forced road closures and led to extensive flight and train cancellations.
Authorities warned that conditions were likely to remain hazardous into midweek.
Some of the coldest weather of the winter so far hit northwestern Europe, severely affecting transport networks only days after an electricity outage caused major rail disruption in the Channel Tunnel.
Eurostar, which links Britain to mainland Europe, urged passengers travelling between London and the Netherlands to postpone their journeys, saying services could not operate beyond Brussels due to extreme conditions in the Netherlands.
“Due to expected adverse weather conditions, traffic is suspended in the Netherlands today,” Eurostar said in a live service update, advising affected passengers not to travel to stations.
Six services between London St Pancras International and Paris Gare du Nord were cancelled, while most remaining trains were delayed.
Rail traffic through the Channel Tunnel had only resumed on New Year’s Eve after a power failure stranded thousands of passengers, some overnight, underscoring the fragility of transport systems amid severe weather.
In Britain, snow and ice caused major disruption, particularly in Scotland, where snowploughs were deployed to clear rail tracks buried under heavy snowfall. Up to 52 centimetres of snow was recorded in Tomintoul, near Inverness, by Monday morning.
The UK’s Met Office issued fresh warnings for snow and ice across Scotland, Northern Ireland and parts of northern England, with cold weather health alerts remaining in place for all English regions until Friday.
Temperatures dropped as low as -10.9°C in the hills of Cumbria on Sunday night, with forecasters warning that areas with lying snow could see temperatures fall to -12°C overnight into Tuesday.
Police in Scotland urged motorists not to attempt travel on closed roads, while roadside assistance provider the AA reported a 40 percent increase in callouts compared to a typical Monday.
Across the Channel, France was also hit hard. Heavy snowfall forced airlines at Paris’s Charles de Gaulle and Orly airports to cut flights by 15 percent. French Transport Minister Philippe Tabarot said around 250 snowploughs were on standby, warning of inevitable delays and cancellations.
Meteo France issued an orange alert for snow and ice across much of northwest France, including Paris, forecasting sub-zero temperatures into the night.
In the Netherlands, rail operator NS said services were severely disrupted, particularly around Amsterdam, while Schiphol Airport cancelled around 700 flights—more than half of those scheduled for Monday. Reduced operations were expected to continue as wintry weather persisted.
Schools were also affected, with more than 200 closures reported in Northern Ireland alone. As the cold snap continues, authorities across Europe are urging caution, advising residents to limit travel and prepare for further disruption in the days ahead.