MADRID (Reuters) – The heavy blizzard of the Filomena storm left thousands of Spanish drivers trapped in their cars on Friday due to road closures and Madrid airport closures.
The M-30 and M-40 highways near Madrid are among more than 400 roads where snow has hindered vehicles, traffic officials said. Citizens were asked to avoid non-essential travel because of the highly unusual blizzard.
“I drove to see my husband at the hospital and I was stuck here for three hours. It is a trip that should take 15 minutes, ”a woman in her car told Spanish RNE television.
Meteorologists had expected Friday’s snowfall to total 20 cm (8 inches) and temperatures to fluctuate around zero. The Red Cross brought food to truck drivers arrested on the A4 in Madrid.
“Due to adverse weather conditions, flights are being diverted from Madrid Barajas airport. Consult your airline to find out the status of your flight, ”said Aena, who controls the country’s airports, in a tweet.
Some liked the chance to have fun in the snow.
Skiers skidded through the Puerta del Sol square in central Madrid, and a video on social media showed a man on a sled driving a pack of dogs through the streets of the capital.
The Real Madrid football team, which headed to Pamplona for a match against La Liga rival Osasuna, waited on a plane for four hours at Madrid airport before their flight took off.
Madrid and eight provinces were under the harshest climate council for the first time since the system was created in 2007.
Large parks in the capital, including the Retiro next to the Prado Museum, were closed as a precaution.
“I came to see and enjoy the snow. There is very little to do today (because of the pandemic), ”said Juan Jose, 24, marketing executive, outside Parque Retiro.
High-speed rail services between Madrid and the southeastern cities of Alicante and Valencia have been suspended.
A record temperature of -35.6 degrees C (-32 degrees Fahrenheit) was recorded in Vega de Lourdes, in León, northern Spain, reported the State Meteorological Agency (Aemet).
Reporting by Graham Keeley Emma Pinedo and Cristina Sanchez, edited by Andrei Khalip, Gareth Jones, Andrew Heavens, David Gregorio, Sonya Hepinstall and Cynthia Osterman