A major winter storm system has brought significant snow and ice to northern Europe, causing widespread transport disruption and straining power grids across several countries, Bloomberg reports.
France remains particularly hard hit following Storm Caetano, which has dumped up to 8 inches of snow in northern parts of the country. Authorities issued an orange weather warning, as hundreds of motorists became stranded on highways surrounding Paris. Train services in Normandy are suspended until midday Friday for repairs, according to SNCF, while approximately 10% of flights at Charles de Gaulle Airport have been canceled since Thursday due to snow clearance and de-icing operations. Energy Minister Agnès Pannier-Runacher reported that 70,000 of the 270,000 homes initially affected by power outages have been reconnected, with full restoration expected by the weekend.
The severe weather has impacted energy markets, pushing European benchmark gas futures towards €50 per megawatt-hour for the first time in a year. This surge is linked to increased inventory withdrawals due to the cold snap, raising concerns about potential winter shortages and the difficulty of replenishing stocks before the next heating season.
Finland is also grappling with the aftermath of blizzard Jari, although the majority of power outages have been resolved. More than 10,000 homes remain without electricity, and challenging road conditions persist due to sub-zero temperatures and intermittent snowfall.
Sweden’s east coast remains under orange and yellow snow warnings, with yellow alerts covering most of the south. Thousands in the north, including 3,000 residents in Skelleftea, are still without power, and temperatures plummeted below -10°C (14°F) overnight.
The UK also faces yellow warnings for snow and ice across much of the country on Friday, with an amber alert issued for heavy snowfall in the Scottish mountains anticipated with Storm Bert on Saturday.
In the Swiss Alps, temperatures are expected to reach -12°C at 2,000 meters, with up to 15 centimeters of fresh snow. Finally, Corsica remains under an orange wind alert, with gusts reaching up to 180 kilometers (112 miles) per hour on Cap Corse. The widespread impact of these storms highlights the significant challenges posed by extreme winter weather across the region.
