Flights cancelled, roads iced and power outages as Storm Goretti pounds Europe

Western Europe faced another day of severe winter disruption on January 7 as Storm Goretti — the first named storm of the year — brought fresh snow, ice and strong winds to large parts of the continent’s Atlantic coastline.

According to European media, significant travel chaos continued in France and Belgium, where hundreds of flights were grounded, leaving passengers stranded at major airports. In the United Kingdom, authorities warned drivers of hazardous road conditions as the storm pushed across the southwest.

In France, the transport minister said that around 100 flights were cancelled on the morning of January 7 at Paris Charles de Gaulle airport due to snow and extreme cold, with a further 40 cancellations at Orly airport. The disruption had already been anticipated the night before, when Transport Minister Philippe Tabarot told French television he was “hoping the situation returns to normal this afternoon.”

Public transport in the French capital also faced major disruption. All bus services in Paris and its surrounding suburbs were suspended because of icy roads, while most metro lines and suburban rail services continued to operate, according to transport officials.

Météo France placed 38 of the country’s 96 mainland departments on alert for heavy snow and black ice, reporting that three to seven centimetres of snow had already accumulated. The weather service described the cold spell as “rare intensity for the season,” and authorities in the Paris region had already urged residents to avoid unnecessary travel and work from home where possible.

Amsterdam Schiphol, one of Europe’s busiest hubs, reported at least 700 flight cancellations on Wednesday due to a combination of snow and strong winds, extending several days of weather-related disruption. More than 1,000 travellers spent the night inside the airport, which provided camp beds and breakfast for those stranded. Airport officials warned that the number of cancellations would continue to rise throughout the day.

In Belgium, Brussels Airport cancelled at least 40 flights on Wednesday and warned of lengthy delays. The airport announced that de-icing procedures and runway clearing operations meant delays should be expected throughout January 7.

In the UK, a yellow wind warning remained in effect for Cornwall, Devon and the Isles of Scilly, with Storm Goretti expected to cause further disruption across much of the southwest.

Severe winter conditions also spread across the Nordic region. Authorities in eastern Sweden cautioned that power cuts were “likely” due to heavy snowfall. In the western city of Gothenburg, tram services were suspended, and regional officials urged people to stay home and avoid driving.

In Denmark, officials in the far-northern region of North Jutland warned residents to prepare for heavy snowfall but said the situation was under control.

Since temperatures began to drop sharply on Monday, at least five people have died in France and one in Bosnia as heavy snow and rain triggered flooding, power outages and dangerous road conditions across parts of Europe. French authorities reported that three people were killed in black-ice-related accidents in the southwest on Monday morning, while a taxi driver died in hospital on Monday night after his vehicle veered off the road and plunged into the Marne River in the Paris region.

In Bosnia, where nearly 40 centimetres of snow fell in Sarajevo over the weekend, police said a woman died in hospital on Monday after being struck by a tree that collapsed under the weight of the snowfall.

By Tamilla Hasanova