School transport has been suspended in several regions, including Brittany (west), which is not used to such weather conditions, as well as in Vendée (west), where snowfall is also exceptional.
At least five people died on the roads in France due to heavy snow and ice, which also caused significant disruption across the country, French authorities declared this Tuesday.
Three people died in two accidents caused by ice on roads in southwestern France and a driver died after falling into the River Marne, in the Paris region. These accidents occurred after the death, on Monday, of a van driver in a collision with a truck, also in the Paris region.
“The meteorological event was somewhat underestimated by Météo-France [serviço nacional de meteorologia]. The response plan had to be revised,” particularly in the French capital region, said Transport Minister Philippe Tabarot.
Tabarot considered, however, that last night “went relatively well” in the Paris region, where measures were taken such as the early application of sand on the roads, so that people could return home and avoid “trapped drivers” in their vehicles, as happened in 2018.
The heavy and atypical snowfall caused significant disruption to the road and railway network.
“It looks like a skating rink”
In total, 26 departments in western France were under orange alert for snow and ice, issued by Météo-France. The alert was lifted at 10:00 local time (09:00 in Lisbon).
“Temperatures are very low, between -3º and -8º Celsius, and can reach below -10°C”, which caused the formation of ice, indicated the French meteorological service.
“It looks like a skating rink,” Christophe Canut, a 43-year-old carer, told the AFP news agency, who was stuck since early morning on the A63 motorway, between Capbreton and Saint-Geours-de-Maremne, in southwestern France.
On Wednesday, there will be “snow and rain for a large part of northern France”, according to Météo-France, highlighting that there will possibly be an increase in the meteorological alert level.
O School transport was suspended in several regionsincluding Brittany (west), which is not used to such weather conditions, as well as in Vendée (west), where snowfall is also exceptional.
A national railway company (SNCF) reported service interruptions on several lines in western France this morning due to snow, as well as speed restrictions on certain sections of high-speed train (TGV) lines.
In Paris, the situation was already improving this Tuesday morning. Around thirty bus lines were restored after being interrupted on Monday due to snowfall in the capital.
