A second day of snowfall in several countries caused disruption for some, entertainment for others—allowing many to share their experiences on social media.
ADVERTISEMENTHeavy storms hit parts of Europe over the weekend, with France, the UK and Germany among those feeling the effects of the wild weather.
From grounded ferries, to snowball fights and cancelled flights, social media users across the region captured the fun and chaos.
UK
Wintry weather caused numerous delays and cancellations at London’s Heathrow Airport on Sunday (December 10), following a ‘yellow warning’ from the Met Office.
The airport said airlines were responsible for ensuring their flights were “fully de-iced” before taking off, leaving thousands of travellers stranded.
Photos and videos shared on Twitter showed huge crowds waiting to see if and when their trips would go ahead.
Heathrow said disruption was continuing on Monday.
In happier scenes in the British capital, Londoners were seen enjoying the seasonal weather with tobogganing and snowball fights.
France
A Dover-bound ferry carrying more than 300 passengers ran aground in Calais on Sunday due to the stormy weather.
The bad weather conditions forced the ‘Pride of Kent’ onto a sandbank as it tried to leave the harbour, and the port of Calais was temporarily closed because of the incident.
Passengers disembarked and the vessel returned to the waters a few hours later. No injuries were reported.
Germany
Snow and ice also left travellers stranded in Germany, where sub-zero temperatures forced the cancellation of hundreds of flights at airports including Frankfurt and Düsseldorf.
Netherlands
Hundreds of flights at Amsterdam's Schiphol airport were delayed, while the regional airport of Eindhoven shut completely, cancelling all flights.
Heavy snowfall in the Netherlands led to the closure of schools and businesses and prompted authorities to advise people to stay home. Rail and road networks were hit by icy weather, with some areas expected to get up to 30 cm of snowfall within 24 hours.
Winter enthusiasts took advantage of the rare thick snow, with some out on skis, while school children enjoyed an unexpected day off.