Munich’s airport experienced a comprehensive grounding of all flights
Southern Germany, along with parts of Austria, Switzerland, and the Czech Republic, found itself grappling with severe travel disruptions on Saturday as Munich's airport halted all flights amid a winter storm.
Initially, the airport declared a temporary suspension of air traffic until noon on Saturday. However, a subsequent update prolonged the cancellation of flights until 6 a.m. on Sunday. Nearby airports, including Zurich, the financial hub of Switzerland, also faced delays and cancellations due to adverse weather conditions.
Germany's national railway announced a cessation of train services to and from Munich's central station, urging passengers to reconsider or adjust their travel plans. Reports from news agency dpa revealed that some individuals in Munich and nearby Ulm spent Friday night on trains due to the disruptions.
In Munich, the local transit authority reported the suspension of bus and tram services as of Saturday afternoon. The inclement weather also impacted some subway and regional train lines. Bayernwerk, the utility company, disclosed to dpa that fallen trees had left "many thousands" without power across Bavaria.
Germany's Bundesliga officials announced the cancellation of a soccer match between Bayern Munich and Union Berlin, originally scheduled for Saturday afternoon in Munich.
In Lower Bavaria, northwest of Munich, police responded to 350 incidents related to snow and ice between Friday night and early Saturday, resulting in minor to moderate injuries. Meanwhile, in Austria and Switzerland, officials issued avalanche warnings in response to the newly fallen snow. In western Austria, Tyrol and Vorarlberg raised their avalanche alerts to the second-highest level after receiving up to 50 centimeters (20 inches) of snow overnight.
The Austrian railway company OeBB confirmed on Saturday afternoon that various segments of its routes across the country were closed due to the storm.
In the Czech Republic, major highways and other roads experienced prolonged closures, causing delays and cancellations in trains and public transportation. Over 15,000 households were left without power.
The critical D1 highway, linking the capital Prague with the second-largest city, Brno, came to a standstill for hours due to an accident, causing a 20-kilometer (12.4-mile) long line of trucks. Traffic jams affected other parts of the highway, as well as the D5 linking Prague with Germany.
Numerous high-speed and regional trains had to halt in the southern part of the country due to non-operational cross-border trains from neighboring Austria and Germany. Some roads were anticipated to remain closed throughout the day.
