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Arctic blast paralyses transport systems across Europe

Airports have been closed and cars have been stuck on major roads as the continent shivers in the grip of the Siberian weather front.

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A pedestrian walks on the Alexandre III bridge after overnight snowfalls, in Paris (AP)

Exceptional snow and wind has forced airports to close in Switzerland and France and stranded several hundred drivers in their cars as a Siberian cold snap stretches across Europe.

Geneva’s airport was closed after the Swiss city was hit with 5in of snow over a three-hour period in the early morning.

Venice’s St Mark’s Square (AP)
Venice’s St Mark’s Square (AP)

Several deaths have been attributed to the unusually cold late-winter weather across Europe.

Sylvain rides his snowboard on a snow-covered street in Lausanne, Switzerland (AP)
Sylvain rides his snowboard on a snow-covered street in Lausanne, Switzerland (AP)

About 2,000 cars were blocked on highways in the Herault region of southern France, where snow – and snowploughs – are extremely rare.

Snow blanketed Paris and the surrounding region, and authorities urged Paris commuters to leave their cars at home because of dangerous conditions.

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